Past flower shops and bakeries he stalks her, silently, steadily, biding his time. He pursues her by foot along haunting red-brick paths, and then by skateboard into the mysterious depths of a swamp both beautiful and terrifying.

Closer and closer he gets, and yet the Grey Lady escapes him, in fantastic and marvelously improbable ways, until, in the heart of the forest the Strawberry Snatcher discovers instead -- blackberries!

In this wordless allegory, author-illustrator Molly Bang has created a visual feast full of surprise and wonder. Her lively tale skillfully blends fantasy, suspense, and humor, and the magnificent illustrations are a treat for young and old alike.

Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher

ANNOTATION

The strawberry snatcher tries to wrest the strawberries from the grey lady but as he follows her through shops and woods he discovers some delicious blackberries instead.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Grey Lady loves strawberries. But so does the Strawberry Snatcher, and unfortunately for the Grey Lady he is not far away and getting closer all the time.

Past flower shops and bakeries he stalks her, silently, steadily, biding his time. He pursues her by foot along haunting red-brick paths, and then by skateboard into the mysterious depths of a swamp both beautiful and terrifying.

Closer and closer he gets, and yet the Grey Lady escapes him, in fantastic and marvelously improbable ways, until, in the heart of the forest the Strawberry Snatcher discovers instead -- blackberries!

In this wordless allegory, author-illustrator Molly Bang has created a visual feast full of surprise and wonder. Her lively tale skillfully blends fantasy, suspense, and humor, and the magnificent illustrations are a treat for young and old alike.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

A grandmotherly woman, depicted mostly in negative space, outwits a persistent blue imp. PW described the Caldecott Honor book as "extraordinary.... [The] illustrations are unparalleled in effects." Ages 4-8. (May)

Children's Literature - Mary Quattlebaum

I confess that at first I didn't know how to "read" The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher, but now it is a book I return to again, loving its aura of mystery. Completely wordless, except for the title, this Caldecott Honor-winning book depicts an old woman clothed in grey chased by a wiley blue fellow who is after her strawberries. She leads him down mysterious hallways, on a wild bus ride, into the woods where she disappears into a grey-shadowed landscape. She seems everywhere and nowhere. In search here and there, the Strawberry Snatcher comes upon a blackberry bush and his taste undergoes an interesting change.