A Chick Called Saturday

Granstršm's airy, confident watercolours are an excellent foil to Dunbar's amusing tale of Saturday, the free spirited chick that refuses to conform. Saturday is convinced that there must be more to life than scratching and pulling worms. His mother's fruitless attempts to convince the wayward chick of his appointed place in the world are described through a succession of beautifully drawn and designed spreads. These culminate in a wonderful blast of colour as we encounter the farm cockerel, and Saturday at last discovers a role model. Granstršm's work is usually seen in tandem with that of her partner, Mick Manning. The contribution that these two have made to the picture book scene in recent years has been considerable. Dunbar's text is here enhanced by a combination of high quality draughtsmanship and a convincing, unmannered economy of line. Visually, the characters sit comfortably in what is essentially a naturalistic, painterly backdrop. As for Saturday, he learns that it is possible after all to assert his individuality, and without needing to copy the pigs, sheep, geese, ducks or cows. This is a handsomely produced book, worthy of its excellent authors.