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Revision as of 08:00, 15 August 2020
, 08:00, 15 August 2020no edit summary
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's 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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