- Picture Books
- Ages 4–8
- Comedy
The Sour Grape
Book 6 of 8 in The Food GroupView the full series
A funny, clear picture book about grudges, resentment and learning to let go.
- Best for4–8
- FormatPicture
- Length40 pp
- Read aloud~8 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Warm
- Heartwarming
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
The Sour Grape holds grudges about everything. Lime did not return a scarf, Orange did not call back, and every slight becomes another reason to stay sour. But when someone else holds a grudge against the Sour Grape without hearing the full story, the grape begins to understand how unfair and exhausting resentment can be. This is one of the more emotionally practical Food Group books: it gives children a concrete comic model for what grudges feel like and why forgiveness can help. Jory John's humour keeps the message from becoming solemn, and Pete Oswald's expressive grape character makes sulking, irritation and softening up visually obvious. It is a strong pick for friendship conflicts, siblings, classroom PSHE and children who need help moving on after small hurts.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 4–8
- Read aloud · 3–8
- Independent · 6–8
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Forgiveness
- Grudges
- Friendship conflict
- Funny pshe
- Food characters
Avoid if
- Wants plot without lesson
- Prefers very soft tone
Particularly good for children who are…
- Anger management
- Reluctant reader
- Making friends
- Being bullied
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Jory John's hugely popular food-character picture books — funny read-alouds that are PSHE gold for talking about behaviour, feelings and being yourself.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific weight is the grudge collection — Lime not returning a scarf, Orange not calling back, each small slight added to the pile, until someone else holds a grudge against the grape and the exhaustion finally clicks. The Food Group on the cost of holding on.
- Transformation
- Friendship and belonging
- Making a difference
Why parents love it
The Food Group grudge book — practical comic model for what resentment feels like, Oswald's expressive grape character making the sulking-to-softening arc visible. Useful for the child who holds onto small hurts. Reliable PSHE-shelf pick.
- Conversation starter
- Shared humour
- Educational for adult too
- Quick to read
In the series
The Food Group.
8 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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