It Might Be An Apple; Shinsuke Yoshitake

A quirky, imaginative book filled with humour and wit as a young boy ponders all of the things that an apple might be. The book was originally published in Japanese and has been translated into English by Thames & Hudson.

A young child arrives home from school to find the most normal looking of objects on the kitchen table…a red apple. Or is it an apple? The story follows the wild, wacky and inventive train of thought of the young protagonist as they surmise all the things that the object might be if it is not an apple.

I love books like this that make you think and challenge views and perceptions of the world. As you read this you are encouraged to question what you know, ponder why you think things are what they are, to question your view point of things and to acknowledge how things can always be viewed in more than one way.

Shinsuke Yoshitake expertly turns the most everyday of objects into something incredible and wonderful and has produced a book that is a glorious look at an apple and all the things it might be, what it could be, what it might have been and what might happen to it. As the boy’s imagination runs wild the ideas that the red object might be get more and more creative. Ultimately, the boy’s imagination returns to reality and he ends by taking a bite out of the red object and discovers that it is in fact rather delicious. The quirky illustrations and creative ideas are presented in a simple yet engaging way and I really like Yoshitake’s use of a simple colour palette with most illustrations in shades of red.

Brilliantly imaginative and imaginatively brilliant. Shinsuke Yoshitake is a unique talent and a superb creator of children’s picture books. It Might Be An Apple will delight and entertain readers both young and old.

Recommended for 6+.