Title: The Sour Grape
Author: Jory John
Illustrator: Pete Oswald
Target Ages: 6 and up
Genre: Fiction Picture Book
Summary: The Sour Grape wasn't always sour. He used to be sweet, until a series of misunderstandings and a missed birthday party turned him into a grudge-holding, scowling grape. This story follows his journey from being a "sourpuss" to realizing that holding onto anger only ruins his own bunch.
First Lines: “I’m a sour grape.
A verrrrrry sour grape.
If you’re looking for someone sweet,
you’ve come to the wrong bunch.”
Memorable Moment: “I realized that my sourness wasn't hurting anyone but me. Life is too short to let one bad squeeze ruin the whole vine.”
Evaluation: We use the term "sour grapes" to describe someone who acts like they don't want something just because they can't have it, but Jory John pivots the meaning slightly to focus on grudges and forgiveness. The story brilliantly illustrates how a single moment of feeling "let down" can spiral into a personality trait if we aren't careful.
The Sour Grape is a character many children (and adults) will recognize. He is someone who keeps a literal "grudge list" and refuses to let things go. John uses this characterization to explore the weight of resentment. It shows the exhaustion that comes with staying angry.
The turning point occurs when the Sour Grape realizes he has made a mistake himself. This moment of self-reflection is the "sweetener" the story needs. He learns that everyone—including himself—needs a little grace sometimes. The story moves from a place of "justice" (holding others accountable) to a place of "mercy" (forgiving and moving on).
Illustrator Pete Oswald uses the color palette effectively here. The Sour Grape's purple hue feels heavy and dark when he is angry, but the brightness of the "Sweet Grapes" and the eventual shift in the narrator's expression help keep the message from feeling too heavy. The puns, as always, are "grape."
I highly recommend The Sour Grape for any social-emotional learning curriculum. It is a fantastic way to discuss how to handle disappointment and the importance of giving others a second chance.
Now, Prove It! — Theme with Evidence
Students analyze key ideas, gather supporting quotes, and use structured sentence starters to explain how the evidence proves a theme. This resource helps readers practice moving from what happens in the story to what it means. Get your copy of Now, Prove It: The Sour Grape.
Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:
Art: The Grudge List vs. The Gratitude List. Have students draw a "sour" grape with things that make them frustrated on one side, and a "sweet" grape with things they are thankful for on the other.
Character Education: Discussion on Forgiveness. What does it feel like in your body when you are "sour"? How does it feel when you let a grudge go?
Comparison: Compare The Sour Grape to The Bad Seed. Both characters started out "sweet" and became "sour/bad" due to a traumatic event. How are their paths to redemption similar?
Creative Writing: Write a letter of apology from the Sour Grape to someone on his list, or a letter from a friend explaining why they missed the party.
Figurative Language: Explore the idiom "Sour Grapes." Research the original Aesop’s Fable (The Fox and the Grapes) and compare it to Jory John’s version.
Food Feelings: Explore why Jory John uses food characters to explain emotions. How does this make hard feelings easier to talk about?
Pun Hunt: Find and list grape-related puns in the story and discuss how humor helps balance a serious message.
Social Skills: Role-play "The Mistake." Practice how to apologize when you accidentally let a friend down and how to react when a friend apologizes to you
Symbolism: This book is ideal to use when teaching symbolism for all ages. Grab my Teaching Symbolism with Picture Book Activity.
Writing: Have students write one short paragraph describing the Sour Grape before the party and one describing him after he learns to forgive. What changed most?
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