Emily Gravett is an artist whose picture books never bore me. In fact, quite the opposite: They surprise and delight me. I may love some more than others but for the most part, her books (both visually and text-wise) are clever and fun to read. I first noticed this British author/illustrator when Wolves was published in the U.S. several years ago. In this story, a cute rabbit leaves his local Public Burrowing Library with a book about wolves by Emily Grrrabbit. He’s reading as he’s walking and he’s so fascinated by what he’s learning about wolves that he forgets to look where he’s going. Young readers will realize before the rabbit does that he’s walked smack into the real thing. The next thing you know, the rabbit is gone and there’s a partially eaten book left. But Gravett—who prominently inserts an author’s comment that points out this is a work of fiction and no rabbits were harmed during the making of this book—provides an alternate ending for those who prefer a happily-ever-after scenario no matter how unrealistic. I love this book, but it’s definitely one you’ll want to flip through first before you read it to your kid. Some children may not get the wink-wink humor and be disturbed by the ending.
Orange Pear Apple Bear is another fantastic book by Gravett. It’s very different from Wolves in that it’s not at all dark and it’s intended for younger children. But this book (which involves eating of a different sort) is just as clever and amusing. Here, Gravett ingeniously shows how less can be more. Using only five simple words throughout the entire book, Gravett keeps little ones and their parents entertained as an appealing fruit-loving bear plays with his food before it disappears in his tummy. I adore the wordplay (for example, “Orange bear” shows the bear pondering his suddenly orange-colored fur; on another page, “Orange, bear” shows the bear displaying the remains of what used to be an orange). When we first began reading this book, my daughter liked looking at the pictures (simple, beautiful watercolor illustrations) and identifying the objects and colors. I think she also liked hearing the rhyming sound of the words. A year later, she still enjoys Orange Pear Apple Bear because now, she’s getting the humor of the play on words. There’s been another positive side effect: The other day, my kid got excited about seeing pears (so glad it wasn’t the candy!) at the market and couldn’t wait to bite into one. I’m happy Gravett picked healthy food to feature in her charming book!
Are you familiar with Emily Gravett's books? Which one is your child's favorite?
Sandra Lee Rella, mother of two, is a freelance editor and writer, and a former children's book review editor.
