Customer Reviews

Meerkat Mail

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Emily Gravett, Meerkat Mail (Simon and Schuster, 2006)

Emily Gravett can do no wrong in my book; Wolves and Orange Pear Apple Bear are destined to become classics of kidlit, not just because the kiddies enjoy them, but because adults are wowed as well. Meerkat Mail, Gravett's third book, doesn't quite come up to the standard she's set for herself, but this should be another one that will have your kids clamoring for you to read it to them over and over again.

Sunny is a meerkat who starts feeling claustrophobic in the family den, so he sets out to see the world and visit all his cousins (all of whom are other members of the mongoose family), and the story is told in postcards that he writes home to his family. Gravett is interested in showing the variations possible in a single species, and she does it well, with the kinds of understated drawings that have made her so popular. While it lacks the over-the-top humor of her previous books, it's still interesting, fun, and a worthy addition to the Emily Gravett bookshelf you should be building for your kids (or the kids you borrow if you feel guilty about reading kidlit as an adult). ****

There are so many remakes of classic stories and this is one of the better ones. Growing up the jolly postman was one of my favourite books. Meerkat Mail is similar but a little more playful. A cute meerkat decides to go for an adventure and sends home letters to his parents that a fun to read and very sweet. The art work is beautiful as well.

Meerkats seem to be the animal du jour and they are fascinating creatures.
Gravett has written and illustrated a wonderful book about them, both as
a nice little story and as a piece of information. I like everything about
it - the landscapes, the humor, the postcard concept (though I think it
would have been even better if depiction of real stamps had been used, as
I am a stamp collector) even the thickness of the paper. It is a real
keeper and Gravett is truly a treasure in children's picture book genre.

This is a wonderful "there's no place like home" story, as the adorable meerkat travels the world, then realizes how much he needs family to remain the center of his life. This is my favorite illustrator and author-- her books are always imaginative and original.

BUT--- A CAUTION
The only reservation I have about the book is it's actual construction. Be cautious, as the glue on the interactive parts of the book (flaps to lift, etc.) oozed out a bit and sealed the pages together. I bought this as a gift book but when I looked through it I ended up damaging it just by turning pages, due to this glue issue. Hopefully the publisher will fix this problem for the next edition.

I purchased this book for my toddlers and they did not take interest in it. The colors are rather dark in comparison to most toddler books and the way text and images are situated on the pages make it rather crowded in appearance. I think this makes it confusing for younger children. Of course, this might be fine for a school aged child. We had purchased this book because our little ones love to watch the Meerkats on tv but this book doesn't even come close to the show.

Also, there are postcards glued into the pages which can easily fall out or rip if you have a smaller child.

If you liked the Jolly Postman, you (and your children) will enjoy Meerkat Mail! An upbeat story about a meerkat and his journey. The postcards are adorable! A great conversation starter about sending (and receiving)mail, too!

The copy I purchased of Merkat Mail was in perfect condition, as stated, and arrived promptly.

I loved the idea of this book. It's a story about a meerkat who gets tired of where he lives and travels to all his relatives homes and sends back postcards.

There are lots of really good aspects to this book: the fun illustrations, the great "realistic" postcards, the information garnered from reading the descriptions from the postcards, the cute "postmarks" and the sweet ending.

But, there were a few bummers: the writing wasn't always incredible (though it was good), and what bothered me the most was how after a while the author quit naming the "relatives" that our meerkat would visit. So, while we started out learning "that is what a meerkat looks like, that is what a mongoose looks like, etc" by the end I was like, "What animal is that?"

But, overall a very fun and creative read, and there's lots to discover on each page!