View source for Soon by Timothy Knapman and Patrick Benson

{{infobox2
|title=Soon
|author=Timothy Knapman and Patrick Benson
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=An exquisite book with a gentle story which shows how fear and excitement combine in any new experience.  Highly recommended.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=40
|publisher=Walker Books
|date=May 2015
|isbn=978-1406351354
|website=http://www.timothyknapman.co.uk/
|aznuk=1406351350
|aznus=1406351350
|cover=1406351350
}}

Raju is a baby elephant who set out on a jungle adventure with his mother.  He was excited and just a little bit frightened: you could see that by the way that he held on to her tail very tightly.  On their way they met crocodiles, who snapped at the pair until mother stamped her feet to frighten them away, hissing snakes and ferocious, frightening tigers.  Mother frightened them off too.  At each encounter Raju asks:

''When can we go home again?''

And each time his mother replies ''Soon''.

Finally - after climbing a steep mountain - they looked out and Raju could see all of his world spread out below him.  Then they went home and as tired Raju went to sleep, he had just one question:

''When can we do it all again?''

I think you know the reply!

Oh, but this is a lovely book.  The words flow like the river, gently, soothingly and there's a subtle encouragement for the listener to join in.  The repetitions and the clear font used will encourage reading too.  Patrick Benson's gorgeous artwork is the perfect foil for the text.  It's a muted, gentle palette and the pictures are of a quality which you would be proud to hang on the wall: Benson is a classically-trained artist and it shows.  The illustrations repay closer examination too, with something new to be discovered each time you look.  Take for instance the page on which Raju and his mother are walking home ''past the tiger in the tall grass... past the snake in the forest... past the crocodiles in the river...''  It's a pleasant diversion to find the three groups of animals: they are all there but I'll confess that it took me quite a while to find snake!

''Soon'' would make a lovely bedtime story as we watch the weary Raju go through that combination for fear and excitement which any new experience brings and become tired through physical exertion.  It's a book which will be read time and again as there's just so much to discuss and discover in the lush Indian landscapes.  I'd like to thank Walker Books for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

The style is rather different, the setting South America rather than India, but we've also enjoyed [[Where's the Elephant? by Barroux]].  You might also enjoy [[Mighty Small by Timothy Knapman and Rosie Reeve]].

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[[Category:Timothy Knapman]]
[[Category:Patrick Benson]]