My enormous thanks to Peter Wiholm for sending me a copy of his children’s book Grumpy Gnome all the way from Canada. Grumpy Gnome is illustrated by Alejandro Segura Baron and it’s my pleasure to share my review today.
Grumpy Gnome was published on 15th October 2025 and is available for purchase here.
Grumpy Gnome
The old gnome was angry with the ducks next door. They had dragged him out of his hundred-year retirement to help a father and daughter in trouble. Why would the gnome care about silly humans, especially ones who had made a big mess at the beloved farm where he used to work? Surely there was nothing about these well-meaning but clumsy people that could soften his prickly mood?
Grumpy Gnome is a humorous, exciting and cozy story about rediscovering joy thought to be long gone, parental love, and the ways of the old world clashing with the new.
My Review of Grumpy Gnome
The gnome is feeling bad tempered.
Grumpy Gnome is brilliant. It’s so luxuriously presented with a robust, glossy cover and equally attractive slip cover that it would make an ideal gift book.
The book size is perfect for sharing with an individual child or in a group situation. The illustrations are wonderful, with a smashing balance between modernity and nostalgia in style. I loved the subdued colour palette that represented the emotions of the story really effectively. It also appealed that there is a single parent and mixed race child so that Grumpy Gnome feels inclusive. In addition, there’s a very good balance of text to image so that young emergent readers are not daunted and more confident ones have enough text to satisfy them. The language is mature so that vocabulary is increased, and it is enhanced by the images that help develop understanding and context.
The Grumpy Gnome himself is inspired. He has lost touch with his old life and is obviously lonely and there’s a very important message in the story that shows children how being kind and helpful towards others actually brings happiness to the person (or gnome) doing so. Consequently, Grumpy Gnome affords the opportunity for adults and children to discuss emotions in a non-threatening environment. Indeed, it felt quite emotional that the little girl seems wiser than her father and her belief in magical things like the gnome gives a sensation of warmth, happiness and hope to readers of any age.
I loved the recalcitrant sheep and the insistent ducks too, because they help bring the narrative to life, adding humour that children will love.
I thought that Grumpy Gnome has all the high quality attributes of traditional tales, containing morals, but within a modern setting so that it slots into the canon of children’s books perfectly without preaching or forcing adult preferences onto children. It’s a lovely story and children will thoroughly enjoy reading it – and what adult doesn’t need a bit of magic in their lives?
About Peter Wiholm
Peter has written articles, short stories, screenplays and reviews for a wide variety of publications, and his love of storytelling is also demonstrated in his short films, documentaries, music videos and photos. He lives in Vancouver, Canada with his wife and daughter. Grumpy Gnome is his first children’s picture book.
You can find Peter on Instagram.
About Alejandro Segura Baron
Alejandro has worked as an illustrator and graphic designer for multiple publishing houses and magazines. He has created comics, book illustrations, posters and more. Grumpy Gnome is the second children’s picture book he has illustrated, after El Castillo de los Siete Ojos. He lives in Barcelona, Spain with his wife and son.
English (US) · 