Green by Mark Sperring and Leo Timmers
| Green by Mark Sperring and Leo Timmers | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: A quirky and hilarious look at sibling bickering. The humour will have picture book fans of any age chuckling along time and time again. Recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 24 | Date: March 2010 |
| Publisher: Meadowside | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1845394530 | |
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Clive loves wearing green. It's all he ever wears. He thinks he looks mighty snazzy, but his big sister (boo! hiss!) takes every opportunity to call him a cabbage, moss, a sprout or a toad. Clive keeps wearing his green clothes, certain that he'll have the last laugh and get one over on his sister.
I really enjoyed Green. It's a brilliantly fun tale of sibling bickering. There's a simple core idea that Mark Sperring has taken and run with. Clive's a funny little guy; his big sister is a classic villainous family member. Their dynamic is immediately familiar to all young children, yet still outrageous enough to be not taken literally. Think Darla, the dentist's niece from Finding Nemo, with her shoutiness. Clive takes it all in his stride, until the surreal ending, which will have every child giggling along.
Leo Timmers' illustrations grew on me. At first, I found them a bit too clean and shiny - reminiscent of computer-generated animation, which can often feel out of place in a picture book. After a few more reads (and the great story bears out many reads) I enjoyed them more and more. They're big, bright, bold and play to the silliness of the story. As you'd expect, there are lashings of green on show, but it never feels samey.
Green is one of those books that is ideal for any age of picture book fan. It's brilliantly simple, almost minimalist, so it won't be pitched over the heads of the very young. Yet, it's packed with lots of humour and quirkiness that will keep them coming back time after time as they get older. The jokes work every time and will strike a chord with everyone. Recommended.
My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
Too Purply! by Jean Reidy and Genevieve Leloup is another fun tale woven around colours, as is the excellent Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett. The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Iain Smyth and Michael Terry shares a similar sense of humour, with a great punchline. You might also enjoy Big Bad Bill on the Naughty Step by Mark Sperring and Tom McLaughlin.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Green by Mark Sperring and Leo Timmers at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Green by Mark Sperring and Leo Timmers at Amazon.com.
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