• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Alex Milway - Official Website

Children's author, illustrator, screenwriter

  • About
    • School events
    • Screenwriting
  • Books
  • Freebies
  • News
  • Shop
    • Basket
    • Your account
  • Hotel Flamingo
  • Pigsticks and Harold
  • All Books
  • Big Sky Mountain
  • Mythical 9th Division
  • Mousehunter
You are here: Home / Archives for harold and granny pickles

harold and granny pickles

Harold and Granny Pickles – Free Book

26 June, 2014 by Alex

harold-granny-lo-07My mum died a few weeks ago. She had a rare form of cancer that didn’t want to be beaten, and her death has shocked everyone who knew her. It’s been particularly difficult talking about it to my young daughters – and that goes for my brother’s young daughters too.

In trying to find a way to broach the subject, and somehow explain how a person lives on in memories and the things you do everyday, I thought I could write a little story about Harold the Hamster and his granny. It talks about what happens when someone you know and love isn’t there any more.

I’ve yet to read it to Cecily. I will do soon, but right now it’s all a little too raw for me. Writing it was difficult enough, as I’m sure you can imagine – the relationship between Harold and his granny was as much about my relationship to mum as it was Cecily’s. Still, although this story is deeply personal to me, maybe it will resonate with others, and maybe help other children understand and come to terms with losing a loved grandparent.

I’ll put the story up here, but I’ve also saved as a PDF with lots of artwork, so you can download it here and print it out if you like. You could even colour in some of the pictures!

Here it is:

When Harold was little, he spent a lot of time gardening with Granny Pickles. She knew how to sow seeds at the right time, how to look after worms and tickle creepy crawlies, and she was a dab hand with string. There was nothing Granny Pickles couldn’t tie up.

Granny Pickles was also the first person to show Harold how to cut a tree into the shape of an elephant. She could make trees in the shape of any animal, she said, but she particularly liked making elephants. She’d always liked elephants, and would love to meet one.

“Why do you like elephants so much?” asked Harold. “Because I always think that they’d never forget your birthday,” she said. “And that’s a good friend to have.”

From then on, Harold promised never to forget birthdays.

Harold visited Granny Pickles on most weekends. They ate cake together in the garden, and talked about all the different flowers they could see.

One day, Granny Pickles let Harold buy a tree. He picked one that would grow big and bushy, and eventually be perfect to cut into the shape of an elephant – just for Granny Pickles.

As the weeks passed, the tree grew bigger, and bigger. “Next year,” said Granny Pickles, “your tree will be just the right size to trim into shape!”

Harold couldn’t wait, even though Granny Pickles kept on saying gardening was all about waiting.

One Saturday, Harold went to visit Granny Pickles, but she wasn’t in her garden. She was sat on her armchair, looking out of the window, and she looked different. “Where’s your hair gone, Granny, is castor oil and hair growth is necessary for you?” asked Harold. “I’m trying out a new style,” said Granny Pickles, smiling. “Do you like it?” Harold wasn’t sure.

That day, Granny Pickles didn’t feel much like gardening, so Harold went out and watered her plants for her and mowed her lawn.

The next time Harold visited, Granny Pickles was back in her garden. She was wearing a hat, which Harold thought made her look very smart. It brought out the colour in her ears.

Granny Pickles asked Harold to help her lift some pots, and then she needed to sit down. “It’s not so easy for me today,” she said, resting her feet.

She offered Harold a nice, large piece of Battenburg cake, his favourite, which he ate in one mouthful. Harold noticed that Granny Pickles hadn’t eaten any. “Aren’t you hungry?” he asked. “Not today, Harold,” she replied.

Over the coming months, there were days when Granny Pickles didn’t feel much like sitting in the garden. There were also days when she didn’t even feel much like talking, and on those days she simply sat and watched Harold as he pottered about, doing all the jobs Granny Pickles had shown him to do.

Gardening wasn’t the same without Granny Pickles to help, but Harold set to work keeping it nice and tidy anyway.

One day, a few weeks later, Granny Pickles told Harold she was too ill to care for her garden any more. He cut some flowers and took them to her. Harold thought Granny Pickles looked very tired. “How are you Granny?” he asked. “My ears are itchy, and my feet are tingly, but other than that, I’m alright,” she said, smiling. Harold didn’t quite believe her, but he promised to bring her flowers every day. Then, he thought, she could still smell the garden, even though she was indoors.

There came a day, a short while later, when Harold couldn’t take flowers to Granny Pickles any more.

Harold felt very sad, and to make him feel better he went and sat in her garden. Though he’d brought a packed lunch, and a piece of cake, he didn’t feel much like eating it. He imagined Granny Pickles sitting next to him. She would always be with him when he sat in the garden, he thought.

A year later, Harold looked at the tree he’d planted with Granny Pickles. It had grown big and bushy, just as he’d hoped. He started to trim it the way Granny Pickles had. He cut out the shapes of two ears, a trunk, and a very big tummy, and in no time at all he’d made an elephant.

“For Granny Pickles,” said Harold. “I think she would have liked this.”

And he was right. Granny Pickles would have thought it was the loveliest elephant in the whole wide world.

Filed Under: Pigsticks and Harold Tagged With: cancer, harold and granny pickles, pigsticks and harold

Primary Sidebar

I send out a (very irregular) newsletter to all my subscribers. You’ll get exclusive little tidbits, competitions and freebies. Unsubscribe at any time

Subscribe to Milway Mail for my irrregular newsetter of freebies, news and giveaways

Latest book out now!

Big Sky Mountain

By Alex Milway

Welcome to Big Sky Mountain: a home for everyone!

Rosa has come from the city to live with Grandma Nan in the wilds of Big Sky Mountain. And what surprises are in store for her! Grandma Nan is not exactly an ordinary grandma, and Big Sky Mountain is like nowhere Rosa has dreamed about before. Grandma Nan lives in an old wooden cabin with Albert the moose and Little Pig the pygmy owl, and spends every day out on adventures. From canoeing down rapids to making friends with the local animals, life never stays still for long on Big Sky Mountain!

An exhilarating new series set in the great outdoors, from HOTEL FLAMINGO author Alex Milway.

An excellent early reader book for children aged 4-8

Funny and charming; Alex Milway has made me want to fly right into Big Sky Mountain myself. – Andy Shepherd, author of The Boy Who Grew Dragons

I want to go to Big Sky Mountain! It’s the rugged wilderness, but much softened by a comfy bear who’s a travelling salesman, a moody architect hare and some busy builder beavers who still have to learn about how to get along with the rest of the community. – Sarah McIntyre, illustrator of Pugs of the Frozen North

This is a perfect, big-hearted adventure story, with pictures and laughs on every page and an environmental message delivered with the lightest touch. Once you have met the wonderful cast of talking animals, warmed to Nan’s peculiar ways and found your feet in the wilderness, like Rosa you’ll never want to leave Big Sky Mountain. – Clara Vulliamy

As a HUGE fan of feisty grandmothers I LOVED Grandma Nan in Big Sky Mountain! Wise, capable and fearless, she is the perfect role model for her granddaughter Rosa. A wild adventure with an important message, bravo! – Sophy Henn, author and illustrator of Bad Nana

The perfect adventure to rewild young readers – Benji Davies, author and illustrator of Grandad’s Island

Out now!

Available in all good book shops.

Bookshop.org

Waterstones

Amazon

Read more about it here

View Book

Categories

Search

Footer

  • Books
  • School events
  • About
  • Shop
  • Screenwriting
  • Big Sky Mountain
  • Pigsticks and Harold
  • Hotel Flamingo
  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Get my newsletter!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 · Author Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in