Author & Illustrator: Rob Hodgson
Genre: Children's Book, Picture Book
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Date: December 11. 2018
Length: 32 pages
Review copy from NetGalley
There is a cave. A cave that is home to a little creature. A little creature that never leaves its cave…because of a wolf. The wolf tries everything to get the creature to leave the cave, to no avail. But what will happen when he's finally successful? This is a laugh-out-loud story with a BIG surprise!
The big twist at the end and the bright, bold illustrations filled with fun details and visual jokes will make this a firm favorite with both adults and children.
Description from NetGalley
Hi, Rob! You don't know me, but you've written the type of book that makes me miss being an elementary school librarian. It's colorful, funny, and there's the threat of someone being eaten! I made my kids sit with me while I read it to them (yes, even the 9 year old) and we had a lot of fun.
What I liked
Expressive and bright illustrations: Hodgson packs a punch with his seemingly simple illustrations. His use of texture give the illustrations a lot of depth. There are also fun little elements like the snail slowly making his way up a rock, or the hat wearing worm who's having some stressful adventures. (Kid 2 liked looking for the worm in each picture.) The wolf was great, and even the wolf snowman gets frustrated with the creature hiding in the cave. Hodgson's art adds an additional layer of storytelling to a simple story.
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| The Cave by Rob Hodgson |
Fun: The story was funny and clever and the illustrations with all of the extra details made it even better. Kid 2 is in kindergarten and she insisted on "reading" the story to me a few more times. With each retelling she picks up a few more details from the pictures and adds to her version of The Cave. I think it's a safe bet that you'll always get a laugh with this one.
Someone might get eaten: Many people think I'm weird for liking books where characters get eaten. But 9 out of 10 early elementary school students will agree, possibly being eaten makes the book way funnier.
Is this element necessary for a funny book? No, not at all.
Will I like it more if it's there? Absolutely.
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| The Cave by Rob Hodgson |
Someone might get eaten: Many people think I'm weird for liking books where characters get eaten. But 9 out of 10 early elementary school students will agree, possibly being eaten makes the book way funnier.
Is this element necessary for a funny book? No, not at all.
Will I like it more if it's there? Absolutely.
What I'm on the fence about
A tad predictable, but who cares: This is not a complicated or brand new story, anyone of the age of 8 will probably figure out the ending. But so what? Hodgson has put together a cheerfully illustrated and funny book about a wolf trying to trick someone into being dinner. I got a laugh out of all of the pictures, Kid 1 enjoyed it, and Kid 2 giggled through the whole story. It's probably not a story older kids will want to hear a lot, but my 6 year old has yet to get tired of it.Rating: 5
Mileage may vary on this one, but I think it would be an enjoyable addition to a child's collection. It's a fun and engaging read aloud, a great one to share with your kid. My children are a little older, so I'll probably grab this one again from the library. I have written it down as a gift idea for some upcoming younger kids' birthdays.
What do you look for in picture books? I love beautiful illustrations, but I really want a story that I can read with lots of arm waving and silliness. (I am terrible at bedtime stories, I always amp up the kids instead of calm them down.) And I wasn't joking earlier, I really like stories where there's a danger of being eaten, they're the best!
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