Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Spells by Emily Gravett



Emily Gravett always manages to surprise me. I couldn't wait any longer to see her newest picture book, Spells, and requested it from another library. It's just....fascinating! Let's see, how can I describe this without giving anything anyway?

A little green frog with a big imagination finds a magical surprise. The reader gets an even bigger surprise after choosing the best ending for the.....frog?
Another marvelous Emily Gravett masterpiece, complete with sly puns, unique construction, clever illustrations (take a close look at the black background in the light) and final delicious touch.

Verdict: If your library is firmly against any kind of flaps or "novelty", this won't be wanted, but try to get it anyways. Delightful fun!

ISBN: 1416982701; Published October 2009 by Simon & Schuster; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library; Added to my personal wishlist

4 comments:

Anamaria (bookstogether) said...

But is it going to make my 5 year old cry? Wolves and the one with the egg had that effect.

Jennifer said...

I would say no - it's more silly than scary. Wolves and The Odd Egg do have scary endings, especially Wolves! Spells is more a magical mix and match story playing with words. There is one picture of a snake that could be scary if your child is sensitive, but it's not attacking or eating anything.

Cathy said...

I just read this one and yes, it is so special! I plan to review it at some point on my blog too.

Kate Coombs said...

Oh, I have this one! Gravett restores my faith in the off-the-wall originality possible in children's literature.