CAZENOVIA — This spring, H. Grey Supply Co. in Cazenovia is inviting families into the magical world of Pufftown with a “Grumbalina”-themed event featuring children’s book author and brand creator Karina Frederiks.
Scheduled for Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m., the event will give kids the chance to meet Frederiks and a couple of the fairies of Pufftown, check out the store’s Grumbalina books and 90s-inspired “throw-back” toys, and sample Grumbalina-inspired handcrafted beverages and baked goods.
Grumbalina is an eight-book series designed to get kids hooked on reading. The books are heavily illustrated with bright, colorful pictures on every page to draw in pre-readers and beginner independent readers.
According to Frederiks, who is based in the Netherlands, her stories transport children to a fun and adventurous world while teaching subtle and valuable lessons along the way.
“Set in the clouds, Pufftown is a world of spells and magic, but problems cannot be easily solved,” Frederiks said. “Young fairies must navigate life in middle school while facing relatable everyday problems like jealousy, loneliness, sibling rivalry, and laziness. . . Grumbalina lives in the only grey cloud in the sky. She struggles with her spells at school and has the lowest-level wand a fairy can carry. School is a struggle because nobody wants to be friends with a fairy who cannot perform her spells. Perfect Polly, Grumbalina’s older sister, is the best fairy in the sky; she carries the golden wand and wins the golden star each day at school. This only makes Grumbalina feel worse. The book series is a coming-of-age tale and follows Grumbalina and her pursuit to make friends and work hard to improve her magic.”
Inspired by a love of writing and storytelling, Frederiks, who majored in English literature and spent a summer at Oxford University reading Shakespeare, started working on Grumbalina in university almost a decade ago.
“I was always working on it in the background of my life, but in the last five years, [I] began to focus a lot of my time on developing the brand because I saw a great need to encourage children to find a love for reading early and step away from so much screen time,” Frederiks said.
According to the author, her books are designed to be read aloud at bedtime or read by children independently.
“The premise behind the Grumbalina brand is to encourage creativity and imagination in this age of technology,” she said. “Studies have proven that creative and imaginative play is essential during childhood, and I believe that by developing independent readers in early childhood, this love for reading can grow and be beneficial throughout life.”
Co-owned by Travis Barr and Alex Altomonte, H. Grey Supply Co. is a modern-day general store and outfitter that is focused on celebrating inclusivity, positivity, and community and featuring small-batch makers and independent brands from across the US.
Barr was introduced to the Grumbalina books just before the holidays by his mother, who discovered the series on Instagram.
Barr recalled that he ordered a few of the books, magic wands, and plush dolls as Christmas gifts for his nieces and was impressed by the fun stories, the cute illustrations by Dan Abdo, and the fact that the entire project is done by an independent creator and author.
“We love people and products that enhance joy on [a day-to-day basis, because] sometimes the day-to-day can feel pretty heavy,” said Barr. “We are curators of things that can take your focus from that heaviness to all the good that life has to offer. Grumbalina does that through the fun stories, colorful imagery, and the togetherness that reading these books with children brings.”
Barr added that he was particularly struck by how Frederiks incorporates inclusivity into her stories.
“Most stories about inclusiveness seem to be about characters being made fun of for what makes them different,” he said. “In the Grumbalina books, each character is made up of their own unique qualities and backgrounds, and they just are who they are. The stories appreciate each character for who they are without having to point out how they are each different. It feels refreshing to have characters that are so different from each other existing together and each fitting a piece of the puzzle that makes up their world. Living in Cazenovia can feel like being in a bubble, and we like our events at H. Grey to support getting out and at the same time connecting with people, art, and more that comes from outside our area.”
Barr reached out to Frederiks via social media about carrying her books, and the store started selling the Grumbalina brand in early January 2023.
“We are the first retailer in New York to carry Grumbalina, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the world of Grumbalina and her Pufftown pals to Central New York,” said Barr.
According to Barr, H. Grey now carries the complete collection of Grumbalina books and products, including book five, “Grumbalina and the Great Storm,” which the owners were able to offer to customers prior to its official release date.
The store also carries magic wands just like Grumbalina’s, the sassy Grumbalina plushy, figurines of all the characters, and backpacks that come with special magic wand holders.
According to Barr, Grumbalina has developed a strong and growing local fan base.
“We recently had a boy come in with his mom [to pick] up their fourth Grumbalina book,” he said. “She shared with me that he is obsessed with Mitchy, one of the characters in the series, and has been trying to make a magic wand just like Mitchy’s out of clay. The kids and families that have fallen in love with Grumbalina are creative and imaginative, and these books fuel those things. Unity and connection are common themes in the world of Grumbalina, and those both create a feeling of being protected and supported, and I think that is something kids pick up on, especially today with there being such a disconnect between so many.”
Barr described inviting Frederiks to H. Grey’s Grubalina event as a “no-brainer.”
Frederiks was equally as eager to accept the invitation.
“[Travis] is so enthusiastic about the Grumbalina mission, and we love H. Grey Supply Co.,” Frederiks said. “I believe that the store is a great fit for Grumbalina because at the heart of both of our brands are kindness and inclusion for all.”
Frederiks added that she loves interacting with her young readers and is looking forward to meeting Barr in person.
“He is such a vibrant personality,” she said. “Additionally, the Grumbalina team all believe that he looks and acts like a character from Pufftown.”
H. Grey Supply Co. is located at 53 Albany St. in Cazenovia.
Follow @HGreySupplyCo on social media or visit HGreySupplyCo.com for information on other upcoming events, such as “Group Readings with Alex the Medium,” “Botox Night with Tox & Pout,” or the new monthly social presented by BRiDGES and the Madison County LGBTQIA+ Network.
Learn more about the Grumbalina brand by visiting grumbalina.com or following “grumbalinaofficial” on Instagram.
