Grandma's House of Rules

'A relatable and heartwarming story that shows, through hilarious watercolor illustrations, why rules are meant to be broken'.
-- School Library Journal

'Man, there are a ton of lovey dovey picture books about going to grandma’s. But what if the stay there isn’t a walk in the park? In this story, you get to see the results of a grandmother, fixated on rules, and her grandson who is fixated on not breaking any of them. Spoiler Alert: Rules get broken. I’m just not gonna tell you how'. -- Fuse 8, School Library Journal

'Going to Grandma’s house can be so much fun-unless she has more rules than you can keep track of. Author and illustrator Henry Blackshaw tells the story of a young boy that is excited to spend time with his Grandma but nervous about breaking her very specific rules. Grandma tells her grandson not to leave his dirty dishes on the table, move the porcelain dolls, sit on the special chair, or touch the special blue and white vase. When Grandma steps out to run some errands, the young boy does his best to follow the rules to keep his Grandma happy. One accident triggers a series of unfortunate events that result in a huge mess with many broken rules.

This book can serve as a reminder to adults that language and tone are significant for children'. -- Manhattan Book Review

'In a drawing style that is direct and simplified we see the world of a boy who appears to be in a small English village, however he uses a vernacular closer to that of folks Stateside. The boy is dropped off at his grandma’s house by an enthusiastic mother who speeds off without so much as a bye. The boy loves visiting his Grandma, but he is stressed out by her many rules – Don’t jump on the bed, or leave the loo seat up, or put your elbows on the table, etc. Even after he finds out why there are so many rules, he still can’t process this new information. Surprisingly Grandma goes out shopping and leaves the boy alone. What could possibly go wrong?

This error of judgement on Grandma’s part provides the main drama and fun in this narrative. The pared back illustrations come into their own at this stage of the story as there is so much going on and clarity is extremely important. The sequence of disasters builds to a satisfying crescendo that includes a pair of china dogs and Grandma’s prized family heirloom. 

Henry Blackshaw keeps things simple in his plotting and direct in his artistic style and I applaud him for that. It helps him to set up a compassionate ending that young readers will appreciate and identify with. The boy has no name, and this feels like a deliberate act to make the character more universal. If you do love your Grandma, then be assured that she loves you so much more'. -- The AOI

'I read an interview with Henry Blackshaw on The Reading Realm where he discusses the inspiration for the book. He attributes many of Grandma’s traditional ways to those of his family: he grew up in a loving, but strict household where there were plenty of little rules. I like the way Blackshaw has incorporated many of the household furniture and objects to his own grandparents or extended family, and this is what makes the book feel authentic and genuine whilst funny and entertaining.

This unique and funny book brings the opportunity for plenty of discussions though, and I enjoyed reading it. I will pop it in my Year 6 book corner at work and see what the children make of it independently for a few weeks, before reading it together'.
-- The Values Bookshelf

'This is a sweet, funny story of forgiveness and recognizing what is really valuable in life. The illustrations are full of colour, pattern and detail. The characters’ expressions are entertaining – my young reader was particularly taken by the commentary given by Grandma’s cat, via hilarious non-verbal communication. New readers can participate by reading the speech bubbles'. -- Armadillo Children's Magazine