Shabby Sunday: Grizzwold by Syd Hoff – 1963

On By MischenkoIn Animals, Children's Books, Education, Reads, Shabby Sunday, Vintage Books

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Shabby Sunday

I have a lot of old vintage books and one of my plans when I first started blogging was to do a post every week or so that shared one of my cherished vintage books. Then I thought there might be other book bloggers out there that have some vintage books, heirlooms, or maybe some old books from childhood that they might want to share. I decided to start a weekly meme titled ‘Shabby Sunday’ for those who would like to participate and share some of their old vintage books. Do you have some shabby books you’d like to share? If so, please feel free to participate as anyone can join. Feel free to use the picture I’ve provided if you’d like to. If you decide to do this meme, please consider linking back to me so that I can see the book you’re sharing.

Today’s Shabby Share is:

Grizzwold (An I Can Read Book)

by
Syd Hoff

 

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Syd Hoff is one of my absolute favorite illustrators and this story goes way back to my own childhood. It’s an “I Can Read” book from 1963 that my children still enjoy reading today. 

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The book is about Grizzwold, a  huge bear who lives in the forest. One morning he hears some loud sounds and discovers some lumberjacks cutting down the forest. Grizzwold doesn’t understand why they have to cut down all the trees, but he knows he can’t live there anymore. He sets out on an expedition to find himself another home.

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He searches high and low, eventually arriving at a house where’s he’s told he’ll make a wonderful bearskin rug. Then, he attends a party where people tell him he simply doesn’t belong.

“You don’t belong here,” said the people. “You belong in the zoo.”

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Grizzwold is exhausted and enters another forest only to come face to face with two hunters who are very happy to see him. Luckily, it’s a national park where people aren’t allowed to shoot animals. Grizzwold has found a home in a forest where he can be happy amongst kind rangers.

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The book remains well-timed today, in my opinion, as we deal with deforestation and animal habitats being destroyed. It’s a reminder that animals are living beings who deserve to live happily in safety and humans have the power to grant them with it.

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Our copy is super shabby, but my kids still cherish this one, even though they’re mainly reading chapter books now. It’s an old library copy we bought at a book sale and one we’ll more than likely never part with. They enjoy recreating Syd Hoff’s illustrations whenever we read his books and he remains an inspiration today.

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Find this book on Goodreads and Amazon:

  • Series: An I can read book
  • Unknown Binding: 63 pages
  • Publisher: Harper & Row (1963)
  • Language: English

You can see the story of Grizzwold read below by Nana on YouTube:

Other blogs who have participated in Shabby Sunday:

Nicky@ An Introverted Bookworm

TheOrangutanLibrarian

Claire@ Brizzle Lass Books

Author Didi Oviatt

Sassy Brit@ Alternative-Read

Brittany @ PerfectlyTolerable

Shari @ Sharisakurai.com

Thanks for checking out Shabby Sunday. Do you have any Shabby books to share? Feel free to share your thoughts below or participate in Shabby Sunday if you’d like! ❤

 

29 thoughts on “Shabby Sunday: Grizzwold by Syd Hoff – 1963”

  8. I love this meme, as you know…Hmm…I’ve been digging through boxes in my garage lately, clearing out stuff…I need to keep this in mind if I find a gem of a book! I can’t remember if I know Grizzwold or not, but I love how you do and your kids are enjoying the same story, M! And I love how they are recreating the illustrations!!! Oh that makes me so happy to see! Lovely share! Xo 😘

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    1. I loved these when I was a kid too! I don’t have my original copy either and wish I still did. So many of my childhood books were more than likely sold in rummage sales once I wasn’t into them anymore. Happy to have the one we have now though. Thanks, Carla. ❤

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  12. Oh, yes! I might only have time enough to do this once a month, but between pulling my son’s childrens book out of storage recently, and my sister bringing books down from my mother’s house I should have more than enough well-loved titles for this. Ha ha. I love it. 📚

    I vaguely remember this book from my childhood! I loved I Can Read books, and so did my son. It’s wonderful this one has found such a happy home. 💜 It’s sad that the subject of deforestation and habitat destruction still rings true today. Why does it take so many people so long to get on board with things? 😢

    I am going to watch the YouTube video later. ☺

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  13. I would love to see what you have. How exciting! 🙂

    I couldn’t help but think about the position that we’re in today and the messages from the book from 55 years ago. It’s crazy. I do wonder about our future, and I know there are plans in place to protect forests–I just don’t know if it’ll be enough.

    Thanks so much for your comments. I appreciate it and glad you like these posts. ❤ 😉

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  14. What lovely messages about Grizzwold! Thank you for sharing. Syd Hoff happens to be my late uncle, and as a way to honor and preserve his amazing legacy, I created the website http://www.SydHoff.org. It’s a rather large site and filled with much information. There’s even a downloadable printout one the Kids Page so they can learn how to cartoon using letters of the alphabet and numbers – something Syd taught kids while visiting schools all across the country. BTW, Ebay is filled with pages of Hoff books for kids and if you have a copy of Danny & the Dinosaur, hang onto it, as the story is in process of becoming a movie (hopefully in my lifetime!!)….Carol

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    Reply

    1. Hi, Carol! How amazing. I’m going to check out the site now. I appreciate you bringing that to my attention. ❤ We do have a copy of Danny and the Dinosaur. I'll be sure to share!! 🙂

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