Sylvia van Ommen

The Surprise is a wordless book where the colorful and non busy pictures carry the action and sequence of the story. A furry sheep uses his wool to make a sweater for his giraffe friend. The story line walks the reader through the process that the sheep goes through to make the sweater. At the end, the giraffe's facial expression shows gratitude for the gift. The use of complementary colors makes the illustration engaging. This book is delightful, however one picture is questionable as it portrays a poodle smoking a cigarette. This book would be great for storytelling.

Age appropriate: ages 5 and up

Ommen, S. (2003). The surprise. Homesdale, Pennsylvania: Front Street.

The Surprise and Follow Carl have strong images that are cohesively connected, creating a storyboard that is easy to follow. Although both of these wordless picture books have whimsical elements to their story line, Follow Carl presents realistic images that are relatable to children. The characters of the story mirror what is in real life, showing experiences that could possibly happen to them. Yet, The Surprise gives animals human like emotions sharing a universal message to the readers about giving and friendship. Both of these Wordless books have a clear middle, beginning and end.… (més)