Yesterday was Appreciate a Dragon Day. Because I didn’t have any dragon picture books sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be reviewed, I decided to choose a Perfect Picture Book about another popular mythical creature. Enjoy!
Title: Griso, The One and Only
Written & Illustrated By: Roger Mello
Translated from Portuguese By: Daniel Hahn
Publisher/Date: Elsewhere Editions/2024 (originally published in Brazil, 2016)
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: unicorns, community, loneliness, quest, uniqueness, extinction
Opening:
Griso, the last of the unicorns, was galloping all across the plains in search of another – of another just like him.
Brief Synopsis:
Griso, the last unicorn, journeys to find another unicorn.
Links to Resources:
· Check out the list of illustrations in the back matter to see the different styles Mello utilized in creating this picture book. Visit an art museum and see if you can find examples of these styles;
· Discover unicorn facts;
· Unicorns are mythical creatures. Discover other mythical creatures.
Why I Like this Book:
With stunning artwork and engaging text, Mello presents the story of the last unicorn on a quest to find fellow unicorns.
Reading about Griso’s epic journey, I couldn’t help but think about real endangered species and the loneliness and heartbreak the last survivors must experience when they can’t find others of their kinds. And when Griso meets a knight in armor who is “eager to make a trophy out of Griso”, I couldn’t help but think about how humans have contributed to the extinctions of so many creatures.
Thankfully, Griso’s story doesn’t end with the knight. Spoiler alert, he never finds another unicorn, but he does find another mythical creature also searching for another of his species. I won’t spoil the ending completely by revealing the nature of this fellow creature, but I’d like to think that these two solo travelers found comfort in each other’s company.
On one level, one can read Griso, The One and Only as a story about endangered species. One also can read it as a story about loneliness and our need to be part of a community. Or one can view it as a story about how each of us is unique. However you choose to interpret it, Griso, The One and Only is a unique and thought-provoking picture book that children and their adults will enjoy reading, rereading, and discussing.
A Note about Craft:
I mentioned the stunning artwork and the list of illustration styles in the back matter. Mello has filled Griso, The One and Only with “illustrations based on the world’s art”. These styles span not only many regions of the world but also prehistory through the 20th century.
Learn more about Roger Mello and his work, and about Elsewhere Editions.
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
Wander, Ponder, Write 