Thank You

‘Thank you’ says the little boy as he travels through the pages of this enjoyable picture book. Jarvis here creates a very real child who, in the way of children, has no boundaries.  He thanks everything, individually from the sun and moon to colours even an elephant (though he has forgotten why). In some ways this may seem inconsequential – but there is a lovely rhythm that builds as the litany progresses. Families or classes could have fun extending the list. If the text is slight, the illustrations are not. Every spread is used to the full to create a journey that starts with the moon and ends with a star. The saturated colour palette ensures that the images burst off the page – but look carefully, Jarvis incorporates elements of collage, marbling, patterns, all bringing texture and life to the illustrations. Nor are the end papers to be ignored. Here the reader can find a wallpaper of ‘Thank yous’ in myriad languages. A lovely picture book that is full of fun to share that belies its simplicity.