Anthony Browne is a most famous writer and illustrator for children, and deservedly so. If you haven’t seen any of his books I would urge you to seek them out in your local library or bookshop.
Big Gorilla once again showcases his wonderful talent, this time returning to his love of primates.
One two page spread asks ‘What is the opposite of …?’ with an illustration to match. This is followed by a second spread, with our answer and an image to match.
The opposite of heavy? Light! The opposite of sad? Happy, of course! I particularly liked the opposite of ‘alone’. Yes, it is ‘together’, and for this Browne has drawn myriad faces for us to look at, each with its own quirk or expression.
This book is simplicity in that there are very few words, but, Browne’s detailed and most engaging illustrations give us pause to gaze at length at each picture to understand and feel the emotions of each opposite.
With large oversized pages the illustrations are big and captivating, grabbing you emotionally and immediately. The expressions on the faces of the gorillas and chimpanzees feel alive and are detailed and full of feeling.
But what is the opposite of opposite? You’ll have to read it to find out.
Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Jane Stephens
Age Guide 3+
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
‘When I see my childhood drawings, I realize that they are not very different from the illustrations I do now,” says Anthony Browne. “All children are surrealists in a sense. One of the things the surrealists were trying to do was to paint familiar things as if they were seeing them for the first time. Children are, of course, actually seeing them for the first time.’
Winner of the highest international honor for illustration, the Hans Christian Andersen Award – as well as the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal (twice) and the Kurt Maschler Award (three times) – Anthony Browne has garnered much praise for his crisp, polished artwork full of tongue-in-cheek humour and hidden surprises. His book Silly Billy reflects this trademark style. In the humorous and affecting tale about anxiety, a homespun solution from Grandma and a final clever twist provide young readers with an antidote to worry.
Anyone familiar with Anthony Browne’s books knows he likes to use his surrealist style to personify primates, from the hapless Willy the chimp, star of a comical series of picture books, to the beloved Gorilla, to the personable chimpanzee of I Like Books. “’am intrigued by gorillas and the contrast they represent – their huge strength and gentleness,’ he explains.
While growing up in Yorkshire, England, Anthony Browne spent hours drawing with his father, an influence that stayed with him into adulthood. He says of his father, ‘He was an unusual man – outwardly strong and confident, but also shy and sensitive – a bit like the gorillas I love to illustrate now.’ After studying graphic design, Anthony Browne went on to paint illustrations for medical textbooks for three years, then switched to designing greeting cards. This, in turn, led to creating children’s books when a greeting-card gorilla decided to take on a life of his own. The father of two grown children, Anthony Browne lives with his wife in Kent, England.
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