The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher

Rating:
Summary: Wordless and scary
Review: This book tells the story of an old lady�s nightmare. One day, she went shopping in a crowded market somewhere in the Middle East (other shoppers included a woman in Middle Eastern clothing on a skateboard). A mysterious stranger saw her buy some strawberries, and began to follow her, in order to steal the strawberries. The stranger followed her into the woods, up a tree, and through a bramble. Fortunately, the bramble had blackberries, which distracted the stranger and allowed the old lady to get home to her family safely. The story is told entirely in pictures, and there are no words in the book. The pictures are very rich with detail, and evoke the dreamlike experiences of the old lady.

Rating:
Summary: My children love this book!
Review: This is one of the most innovative books I have "read." My six year old brought it home from her school library and had no trouble "reading" it to her three year old brother. After the book was returned to the library my 3 year old kept asking for it. The story is wonderful and mystical. The art work is FANTASTIC!! I purchased it for a friend and intend to purchase it for my son.

Rating:
Summary: My children love this book!
Review: This is one of the most innovative books I have "read." My six year old brought it home from her school library and had no trouble "reading" it to her three year old brother. After the book was returned to the library my 3 year old kept asking for it. The story is wonderful and mystical. The art work is FANTASTIC!! I purchased it for a friend and intend to purchase it for my son.

Rating:
Summary: The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher
Review: This mysterious wordless book is a visual feast beginning with a visit to a fruit vendor. His baskets of cherries, plums, and strawberries entice the reader from the cover. An elderly gray haired woman in a gray dress beams as the vendor hands her a luscious basket filled with plump strawberries. She places it in her net bag and smiling contentedly leaves the vendor's shop. As she goes we see a mysterious figure peer around the corner. He has blue skin, long skinny limbs, fingers and toes and sports a wide-brimmed purple hat. As he follows the Grey Lady mushrooms sprout where his feet step. The Lady and the Snatcher move through a richly detailed street scene with elaborate window displays. Suddenly, a woman in an Asian goddess's flowing robes bearing a basket filled with eels skateboards into the Strawberry Snatcher. The Gray Lady escapes by catching a bus to her home in the swamp. Snatcher follows close behind on the skateboard and we see them play hide and seek among the trees. The Gray Lady skillfully blends into patches of gray in the landscape. Finally, Snatcher discovers a brambly hedge bearing lots of colorful ripe plump berries and he stops to feast. The Gray Lady then reaches home where everyone has a touch of Gray in hair or clothing or both. We witness a strawberry celebration among the Gray family while she hands a bowl of berries to a young boy who bears a remarkable resemblance to the Strawberry Snatcher. Could they be related? Intriguing plot and engaging illustration make this a delightful story to be recreated again and again within the viewer's imagination.