Sandra Severgnini, Grub, EK Books, August 2022, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922539267
Sandra Severgnini has collaborated with several children’s book authors previously, including Tree Beings which was awarded the 2021 Environment Award for Children’s literature from the Wilderness Society. Grub is her first foray as author/illustrator and is a delightful lower primary non-fiction book.
First of all, how engaging is the title Grub?! Boldly gracing the front cover the title is set against an earthy background with the starring character ‘Grub’ nibbling away at a letter. The simple but captivating cover is sure to appeal to the imagination and sense of humour of a young audience.
The story introduces ‘Grub’, his environment and his daily routine; mainly consisting of eating. He can feel himself growing and changing but he doesn’t know into what? As different forest creatures pass by, Grub wonders if he will turn into them. At these points the reader learns about the nymph/younger stage of each creature and what they looked like. Grub doesn’t match any of these descriptions.
There are generally only two sentences per page which helps maintains a steady pace keeping young readers engaged. Vocabulary is also fairly simple but with the inclusion of some interesting language, there is just the right amount of description and reading challenge for the intended age group. A nice pattern evolves with repetition of the line …he ate and he ate, and he grew and he grew… that lends a rhythmic quality to a read-aloud.
Severgnini’s illustrations throughout are excellent scientifically accurate depictions of different forest creatures, but without being too detailed and fussy. I also really enjoyed her renderings of the different forest flora, with beautifully bright flowers and fruits bordering the pages. The artwork allows the reader to appreciate the often-unseen beauty and fascinating detail of the smaller species in our world.
I was reminded of The Very Hungry Caterpillar when reading this book as there is that similar build-up to the reveal of what the ‘Grub’ will emerge as. I literally gasped with delight when I turned the page to discover Grub’s transformation. Without spoiling the surprise for future readers, it is an unexpected and fascinating reveal.
I highly recommend this book for readers aged 4-8 years as an engaging non-fiction book that conveys knowledge through a lovely story of transformation. The publisher has provided extensive teacher notes for the book to be used as a teaching resource as well.
Reviewed by Julie Bertola
