What's Your Favourite Animal by Eric Carle

What's Your Favourite Animal by Eric Carle
Buy What's Your Favourite Animal by Eric Carle at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Zoe Page
Summary: A quirky book that answers the title question from many points of view. Fun and different.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 40	Date: February 2014
Publisher: Walker
ISBN: 978-1406356519
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I love that this book is written by Eric Carle and friends. There’s something rather lovely about the idea of a group of authors and illustrators, hanging out and deciding to collaborate on a project together. Unlike the usual two-person job, though, where the result is typically as seamless as if it came from a single pen, this is an eclectic mix of pages that very clearly come from various minds. Let me explain.

In this book, the contributors answer the question of the title, but they answer it in many different ways. Some use poems, some use anecdotes from their childhood, some use big pictures and just few words while others cough up paragraphs to go with their comic strips or pencil drawings. Every one is a bit different and every one is special.

This isn’t the sort of book you necessarily read cover to cover. It’s not designed for that, and it doesn’t flow in a nice accommodating way. There’s too much stopping and starting and changes in tone of voice. But, for any child who likes animals, or drawing, this is a brilliant book because it has lots of both in, and the variety of styles are sure to inspire. It’s also a lovely talking book. I mean, what’s your favourite animal? And why? It would be good for early years classes because it shows there’s no wrong way to answer the question and inspires imagination.

Featuring everyone from Lucy Cousins to Erin E Stead to Jon Klassen this is a who’s who of illustrators and I recognised several names from other new releases. At the same time, it introduced me to lots of new faces who I’ll be sure to look out for.

This is a fun, if quirky, book that I’m glad I had the chance to review. Thanks must go to the publishers for sending us a copy.

You must be familiar with Eric Carle's most famous work, but have you seen The Very Hungry Caterpillar Pop-Up Book which revives him in 3D? Excellent.

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