A tale of few words (Orange Pear Apple Bear - Emily Gravett)

Member Name: cmh4135

Product:	Orange Pear Apple Bear - Emily Gravett
Date:	15/08/09 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good for look & see reading, clever illustrations

Disadvantages: No story as such and you need to work to get more from it

Those familiar with Jez Alborough's "Hug" might appreciate the simplicity of this book by Emily Gravett. Just five words appear in the book; orange, pear, apple, bear and there!

Rather than the story being the pull of this delightful book it is the illustration. Styled with a water colour effect we start with the basic, single words and these are then combined to produce some very clever results. For example, "pear bear" shows a picture of a bear but his body looks like a pear. It's something that really has to be seen to be appreciated. The bear is shown to be expressive and some great conversations can be had based on the illustrations alone.

This is, I think, a book that could appear to a range of ages. For the under 2s, as a picture book, it is a delight. For the slightly older child who is learning to read there are some great "look and see" reading opportunities and it won't take long before the child recognises the words used and appreciates the difference between them. The pictures aid in this regard but do not make the words themselves redundant as not all illustrations are immediately clear. For the older child, whilst there will be little joy in the tale it might provide a good example of how you can make composite images from some basic shapes. It can also be used to demonstrate basic punctuation and the difference that a comma can make!

This is, perhaps, a book to borrow, rather than to own although, if you enjoy the likes of "Hug" then you might just want this on your shelf.

Summary: A clever idea, well executed