Cave Baby
Author: Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Emily Gravett
Published by: Macmillan Children’s Books 2010
Age: 2 – 6 years
Themes: fear, trust, art, restless, sleeplessness
Opening Lines: Cave Baby’s lucky – he lives inside a cave with his mum (who’s good at painting) and his dad (who’s very brave) And a sabre-toothed tiger, and a hyena and a hare and a grey woolly mammoth, and a big brown bear.
Synopsis: A cute little Cave baby is worried he is going to be thrown to a big brown bear, after painting over the walls and pictures in his parents cave walls. A hairy mammoth takes the cheeky little baby on a thrilling ride through a moonlit landscape with a tiger, leaping hare, a laughing hyena and possibly a big brown bear.
But where are they going? And what has it to do with the baby’s scribblings on the cave wall? You will have to read it to find out.
Why I like it: I love books that beg to be opened, that have illustrations with such expression, that are cute, funny, bright, interesting and artistic. This is one of them. Emily Gravett’s full page pencilled drawing over paint give the little Cave baby such expression right down to his little leafed nappy and bare feet. The illustrations certainly move the story along with it’s soft dark night colours giving the close feeling of the animals of the jungle, to the bright, clean light of day where we view the mess that has been made. Julia’s beautiful rhyming text is minimal and often ambles through the illustrations so as not to detract the eye from the big picture.
Note: A newer edition in soft cover is now out, making this a very bright and attractive book to visit. It comes complete with a CD.
Emily Gravett is a twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal. Julia Donaldson is a mult-award winner and popular picture book writer. Originally writing songs for television, it wasn’t till one of her songs was turned into a children’s book that she turned to writing for children. Of her 184 published works, 64 are widely available in bookshops. The remaining 120 are intended for school use and include her Songbirds phonic reading scheme which is part of the Oxford Reading Tree.
Resources/Findings: Here is Julia Donaldson’s website and as you can see she has also educational material….. http://www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/
Another link… http://www.cavebaby.co.uk/activities.html
http://my.redhouse.co.uk/learn#3-years
Parental resources for tracking baby’s path… http://pathways.org/awareness/parents/developmental-milestones/monthly-milestones-and-activities-calendar?gclid=CKeu9Yb65bYCFUVZpQodtTQAgw
Watch Emily draw Cave Baby…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7hY4MgstiVg
For more books with resources please head on over and visit the lovely author Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog and find the tab for Perfect Picture Books. Her blog is full of resources links and activities associated with the books reviewed by many authors
Writer and Dreamer at work 
I think Julia is brilliant and I must find this book! Would be fun to pair with Tammi Sauer’s ME WANT PET!
Cool! Glad you like this, Cathy. Julia has quite a talent!
Picture books and songs are a great match but CD’s almost seem old-fashioned now. I’m surprised each time I see them.
I love having the accompanying CD whether it is a song or reading the book. For the buyer, it’s like an extra bonus,( I think). Nice to have the option too, with or without CD. Thanks Wendy. 🙂
What a very unique book and an interesting way to teach a little history. Like Julia’s website. Can’t imagine writing 184 books.
Julia is a very talented lady. Glad you like the choice, Pat. Can’t imagine writing that many either, but who knows!
I love the sound of that especially after watching that new kids movie whose name escapes me. Julia is fabulous! Thanks, Diane
lol….my brain goes like that too, Catherine.. lol. Glad you like my choice, Thanks.
I hope we can find it here too. Julie and Emily together sounds like a good match (though I love her collaborations with Axel Scheffler too)!
I hope you find it, Julie. I must look out for her other books. THanks, Julie.
This looks delightful, Diane! I was sold immediately on the title and the cover illustration! I can’t wait to read it 🙂 Thanks for introducing me to it!
Glad you like it. The cover is cute. Your very welcome Susanna.
Hi Diane – too funny – we both picked Emily Gravett books today – I so like her illustrations. Thanks for the link to the video of her. I will seek out this book.
Obviously we have good taste then. Your welcome re the link. She is very talented isn’t she? Hope you like the book. Thanks for stopping by Laura.
Wow, what a prolific writer. You sure have me hooked to know the ending, Diane!
Very! Glad you liked this one Joanna.
I will have to try and find this book! It sounds cute and adventureous
I hope you do find it, Saba. It’s gorgeous. Thanks for being here.
This sounds like a very cute book! 😀
It is very cute, Erik! This little Cave baby has talent!
That cover is really cute! And what a funny idea of babies with mammoths! I’ll have to check this one out! Thanks for sharing!
lol.. Hi Rhythm, yes it is really cute, alright. I think you will enjoy this.
Just can’t go wrong with Julia Donaldson. Great post. Glad I have found you. Best!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I enjoy your blog!