Grasshopper

by Tatiana Ukhova (Illustrator)

Told from the up-close perspectives of a young girl and a grasshopper, a garden comes alive with creatures, plants, and surprises of nature.

While investigating and admiring the insects in her garden, a young girl discovers how her actions impact the little creatures she finds, like a caterpillar inside a pea pod. When she places the caterpillar on an anthill, the ants swarm it!

When she captures a grasshopper, she discovers one of its legs has fallen off. To keep it safe from the ants, she places it in a jar—only for another curious creature to come investigate.

As the day progresses, the girl learns the profound effect she can have on the natural world around her.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Animals, Childrens, Environment, Russia, Death

56 pages, Hardcover

Published May 4, 2021

About the author

Tatiana Ukhova has a degree in finance, but her desire to be an artist has led her to study drawing, color theory, and illustration over the last ten years. She was born in Moscow and still lives there. Grasshopper is her first book.

Reviews

[The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grasshopper is a stunning and captivating wordless picture book with lots of pages to explore and dive in to a garden with a little girl, wondering at the impact she has on even the smallest of creatures.

I think the idea here is to consider both the point of view of the girl AND the little creatures. There can be a harsh reality and even savagery to both the way nature operates as well as the human impact on our environment, and this book touches on those very real themes in a age-appropriate way. I appreciate very much the concept and implementation of those themes in a wordless picture book. The impact is there and doesn't need any text.

I think this book does a great job simultaneously drawing young children in to the wonder and awe that nature provides as we observe it, while also reminding us that we can have a negative impact. There is a way to approach nature with both connection and care as well as respect for what it is without our involvement.

***Note: I was given a review copy of this book by Greystone Kids. Opinions are my own.

[Natalie Tate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still in shock.

Did I just read a wordless picture book about a girl's first realizations about the harsh realities of the animal kingdom?

Yes. Yes, I did.

It's a bug-eat-bug world out there.

Grasshopper reminded me of the first time my own childlike naiveté vanished. Like the girl in the story, it was the bugs that taught me life's difficult lessons. I put my roly-poly friends in a jar, screwed on the lid, and thought I'd play with them again the next day. But when I opened the lid the following morning, they were all dead.

*Ahem* All this is to say that Tatiana Ukhova has written a rare picture book that has me thinking about its themes for the rest of the day.

If you're looking for a philosophical picture book, here it is.

[Shoshanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and sad

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting in that it's linear and not at the same time. It's also distinctly amoral--we see a child capture and endanger bugs and there's no commentary whatsoever. It is unusual for a picture book to completely refrain from moralizing around anything controversial, and maybe a little refreshing.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little girl tries to rectify her accidental maiming of a grasshopper by giving it a home in a jar. Stunning wordless picture book showing how wild creatures thrive without human intervention. Spectacular art let’s you share this story using your own words, or no words at all.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really torn on how to rate this one. The illustrations are gorgeous but the kids and I found the narrative they tell confusing.

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eye-catching art in the wordless picture book, but the morbidly humorous story is probably better appreciated by adults.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Ukhova’s debut book… yeah, think about that for a second. Stunning.

[Rebecca Caufman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wordless picture book that is a bit hard to understand. A young girl enjoys a day outside and is curious about the insects around her.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Ukhova's wordless debut picture book from Russia, nature's whimsies are beautifully depicted. A white child rests on a blanket in a green garden as an aeroplane flies across the blue sky. The child becomes fascinated by an ant hill after they notice the ants crawling towards them. In a series of quick events, the child watches as the ants attack a caterpillar. Despite the small-scale violence of the scene, Ukhova's use of a stunning colour palette and restrained approach makes the moment thought-provoking.

The child learns a lesson about the impact of their actions on the environment when they capture a grasshopper, causing it harm. The grasshopper is placed in a jar, revealing its world in all its beauty and danger. The child's journey of discovery teaches a valuable lesson about the natural world.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Greystone Kids for the ARC.
I love sharing wordless stories with students, especially when they are a bit ambiguous and leave readers with things to discuss. In this story, a girl tries to capture a grasshopper and it’s injured in the process. Once she’s prepared the typical jar “habitat”, more trouble ensues. What’s the right thing to do? This story will definitely lend itself to great student conversations.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very unique, wordless picture book. A child accidentally causes a grasshopper to lose a leg, after which she makes a home for it in a jar...with the final revelation that the grasshopper can still survive in the outdoors, and that's the best place for it. Or at least, I think that's the story. There's no commentary, so it's kind of up in the air for readers to come to their own conclusions.

[Clementine · Rating 5 out of 5]

the illustrations are great, and the choice to make this wordless really worked for me. while there's definitely a narrative about the natural world here, there's enough ambiguity and nuance for kids and adults to make up their own versions of what they think is happening.

i'm going to buy this one for my niece - i liked it that much

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading books from other countries, as they often have a different slant on childhood. This wordless picture book from Russia is terrific. A celebration of nature turns brutal when a girl decides to catch a grasshopper. The reader gets both perspectives, the child's and the insect's (in a multi-lens view.) This one is great for careful visual reading and discussion.

[Naomi Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting...

This is a wordless picture book (for kids??? I guess??) with absolutely stunning illustrations... yet it's kind of savage. Amoral. A bit disturbing. At the same time, all of that is contrasted with the beautiful, lush, vivid green depictions of nature and bug life.

I'm just so curious about how a child would experience reading this.

[Morgan Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wordless picture book with a great narrative quality, and interesting illustrations. Please note that some younger readers could be disturbed by the deaths of a few characters. I do appreciate it’s frankness in showing it is a part of nature.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picture book

[Jj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent illustrations, though I was not as keen on the actual story here.

[Y.Poston]

Gorgeous up close & personal wordless picture book exploring bugs & nature

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay.

[Sheri Radford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book teaches an important lesson about not messing with nature.

[Erin *BookDragon_Library* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wordless.
Didn’t like illustrations.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of an odd one, but still cool.

[Ashley Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wordless picture book full of wonder, compassion, and resilience.

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

A silent picture book. A girl interacts with the insects in her yard, in particular a grasshopper she temporarily keeps in a jar. Good art.

[Hannah Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this wordless picture book way more than I thought I would. I am always skeptical of wordless picture books because it's tough to carry a story without words, and I am usually flummoxed by the end of the book. I like how the girl keeps encountering nature in all its wildness and brutality and that it's not just expressed in one moment. I also like how she initially humanizes the grasshopper and provides shelter and a "friend," but eventually embraces his wildness. The illustrations are beautiful - so cheerful and lively - and provide the perfect backdrop for the story.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl catches a grasshopper but it escapes to freedom.