Pomelo Begins to Grow (Pomelo the Garden Elephant) [Hardcover]

Ramona Badescu (Author), Benjamin Chaud (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 2011 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Series: Pomelo the Garden Elephant

What happens as a little one begins to grow? Do parts of the body grow unequally? If the outside grows, does that mean the inside is changing too? Children love it when they begin to grow! But they also have questions and maybe even worry a little too. Pomelo Begins to Grow explores this rich material with playfulness and humor, without undercutting the importance of the questions.

Ramona Badescu was born in Romania in 1980. She arrived in France at eleven and started to write for children at twenty-one. A busy, prolific writer, she currently lives in the wonderful city of Marseilles.

Benjamin Chaud has illustrated an impressive number of picture books and has written at least one as well.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and Notable Book of the Year for 2011.

"I loved “Pomelo Begins to Grow.” Funny, smart and idiosyncratic, graceful and intuitive in a way that feels as much dreamed as written, Ramona Badescu’s tale (translated from the French) is less a story per se than a series of musings, a kind of ad hoc therapy session for those conflicted about getting older, which, in contemporary America, where middle-­aged men dress like skate punks and 20-something women covet face-lifts, means pretty much everyone. Badescu’s title character is a little garden elephant (distant relative to a lawn flamingo, I learned from an online garden-­supply catalog), who notices one morning that “his favorite dandelion” seems unusually small. So too some strawberries, a pebble, a potato and an ant. Light bulb: Pomelo realizes it’s he himself who’s getting bigger." -- Bruce Handy, The New York Times Book Review


Starred Review Pomelo Begins to Grow by Ramona Badescu, trans. from the French by Claudia Bedrick, illus. by Benjamin Chaud. Enchanted Lion (Consortium, dist.), $16.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-59270-111-7
"The young elephant Pomelo is growing up, and this French pair, in their English- language debut, chronicle his doubts and questions, transferring onto his eraser- pink body and round eyes the anxieties that ordinary children have but rarely ex- press. “[Pomelo’s] a little worried that he won’t grow equally all over,” Badescu says, as Chaud supplies vignettes of Pomelo with an oversize ear here and an outsize leg there. When Pomelo “wonders what has to happen on the inside for him to grow on the outside,” Chaud draws a cutaway view of Pomelo full of complex, mysterious machinery. And to demon- strate that growing up involves “having new experiences,” Chaud shows Pomelo eating a hot pepper with fire roaring out of his mouth. Badescu is honest about young childhood’s losses (“But seriously, does growing up mean one has to stop clowning around?”) and encouraging about older children’s joys (“[W]hen your old fears return you are able to laugh at them”). Chaud lavishes as much energy on the verdant backgrounds as on Pomelo; they’re like Henri Rousseau’s tropics. The whole makes for a quirky, delectable treat. Ages 4–7. (Sept.)" -- Publishers Weekly

" [...] Badescu’s endearingly anxious pachyderm mirrors the familiar impatience to grow up, the determination never to act like adults do, and the many other concerns “medium”-sized people face. The author and illustrator demonstrate a brilliant marriage of text and illustration. Chaud’s charming paintings of Pomelo in his landscape of dandelions, strawberries, and smiling potatoes–set simply against oversize white pages–breathe life and humor into Badescu’s big-picture questions, while playing with scale. Youngsters will laugh at the silly depictions of Pomelo as he grows unevenly, while adults will smile at his joyful exploration of a countryside dotted with asparagus trees, broccoli bushes, and sushi flowers as he learns to love foods that aren’t sweet. The imagery may remind some readers of the modern Japanese ultra-cute cartoon style, but the masterful execution–and Badescu’s universal subject matter–makes this a picture book that children will return to again and again." -- School Library Journal

About the Author

Ramona Badescu was born in 1980 in southern Romania.She arrived in France at the age of 11 and started to write for children ten years later. She lives in the wonderfully diverse French city of Marseille.

Benjamin Chaud lives and works in Paris. He has illustrated an impressive number of picture books and has written at least one as well.

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books (August 16, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592701116
• ISBN-13: 978-1592701117
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 0.5 x 12.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #431,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Maybe the translation is responsible for the slight odd-ness. September 21, 2011

By SugarCookie

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Nice premise, but it is a little odd. I'm not sure if it is embarrassing. The long pinkish nose is a little weird. What exactly is growing? On the other hand, this book is highly recommended by a reputable book-review critic, but maybe s/he read it in the original. The translation is poor, with at least one serious gramatical error (apostrophe-s for plural).

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Meet a sweet pink elephant and his vivid imagination August 26, 2011

By FIRR-Kids!

Format:Hardcover

Pomelo is a tiny, pink baby elephant. He used to be the size of a radish, but his favorite dandelion suddenly seems rather small. Could it be that he has grown? Pomolo thinks it's time to do a little measuring. Yes! He has definitely grown. The young elephant is ecstatic, shrieking as he flips his tiny, pink body into the air.

Pomolo's growth spurt makes him start thinking very hard about himself and his path. He has a lot of unanswered questions about growing up. What has to happen on the inside for him to grow on the outside? Will he grow at the same speed as his friends? Will he change color? It isn't just physical growth that Pomolo is worried about. He also wonders if his mind will mature to match his body's pace. Will he lose interest in clowning around and start to like different things? Pomolo has so many unanswered questions, but he feels big enough to take on whatever new adventures come his way.

I love how the illustrations range from ordinary to fantastical. Pomolo pictures his body parts growing at different speeds, with six funny drawings. One of my favorite pages is the one where he is imagining the inside of his body being controlled by tiny men working gears and levers. But then I also like his reaction to trying new experiences (spicy pepper!) and his little totem pole of how all creatures are connected to one another.

Pomolo's thoughts about growth are varied - probably not too far off from what a child would come up with. He is a bit nervous and has some crazy ideas about what could possibly happen. Exactly why this book is such a great way to discuss physical, mental and emotional growth with your children! They will certainly identify with Pomolo who simultaneously cannot wait to grow up and yet wants to remain a carefree child.

5.0 out of 5 stars wow! January 18, 2013

By Chris Pak

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

this children's book is amazing! well written and fantastic illustrations. i love the words used throughout the book; words you wouldn't expect to find in a children's book, but they build vocabulary so i can't complain! happy!

2.0 out of 5 stars Wish I'd Seen SugarCookie's Review First... Quelle honte! November 19, 2011

By ASKier

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My six-year-old loves the art, but reading the English translation is rough going for me. Question marks abound--sometimes appropriately. Try reading this out loud: "He also asks himself if he will turn gray as he grows up?".

"There's no question, he want's [Sic] to know more." Alas, I didn't after that page. Hand this one to a pre-reader; don't confuse an emerging one.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, captivating images and thought-provoking prose October 30, 2011

By Bryn

Format:Hardcover

My five month old twin boys are captivated by the simple and colorful yet detailed pictures. The content is beautiful, albeit with a few "lost in translation" moments. Very complicated concepts of growing that I had never considered children to have!

4.0 out of 5 stars Growing Up September 28, 2011

By Catherine W. Hughes

Format:Hardcover

What does it mean to grow up? Pomelo wants to grow big, but he doesn't want to change too much. He wants to grow slowly, "little by little," until he is ready for his own adventure. Children ages 3-6 will learn about growing big and growing up, while following the adventures of this playful character.