Into the Uncut Grass

In a Nutshell: A illustrated chapter book with two interesting characters and a fable-style narrative. A nice mix of realism and fantasy. Loved the writing and the characters. Adored the thought-provoking bits of wisdom. I wish the ending had extended at least a couple of pages further, but even as is, this is a beautiful book for all, especially but not only for a joint parent-child reading session.

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Plot Preview:

A young boy is tired of the routine chores his mom forces him to do everyday. So when he wakes up one bright Saturday morning, he makes a special plan ‘before chores ruin this special day.’ He takes his best friend – Walter, his teddy bear – and decides to run away from home into the uncut grass

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beyond his house yard. Walter tries his best to dissuade the boy, but the boy is determined to ‘be free’. What happens next?

Most of you would certainly have heard of South African comedian and host Trevor Noah. His shows are funny, but if you have read his memoir ‘Born a Crime’, you would know that underneath that light-hearted façade, he incorporates deep thoughts and feelings. Even when he hosted ‘The Daily Show’, his views were balanced between comedic and serious, both at the same time. He now extends this duality of thought to this illustrated chapter book.

The book begins with an author’s note, offering a background into the conception of and intention for this story. The write-up is a bit too detailed for younger kids, but adults will be able to appreciate it better. He states that it is not a children’s book but for a book for parents and children to explore together, but that it can work even if you aren’t a parent or a child.

I found it striking that the book was inspired by conflicts between Noah and his mother during his childhood. It made me wonder if the story would be negative in approach, or if it might support a child’s view against parental dominance or strictness. After all, parents (at least traditional ones) feel duty-bound to ensure that their children follow certain rules, which children obviously don’t understand or appreciate. However, Noah handles the delicate topic skilfully, beginning with a “conflict”, highlighting the thought process of the protagonist with many valid reasons, offering the counter-rationale through Walter the bear, and ending on a note of hope. What I loved most of all is that the book isn't biased towards parent or child. It presents a balanced narrative, even though the boy’s mother is never an active part of the plot.

This doesn’t mean that the book is just about parent-child conflicts. With some talking animals, magical beings, and animated objects, the book adds a good dollop of fantasy to what might otherwise have been a serious topic. Each chapter contains a new adventure with unexpected characters and thought-provoking life lessons. This, combined with Walter’s sage comments, ensures that the book offers plenty to reflect upon, both for adults and for children.

The unnamed boy and his teddy Walter easily won my heart. Their connection might remind you of Calvin and Hobbes, with less naughtiness and more witty introspection. Walter is really wise, the voice of reason against the boy’s rebellious heart.

As a rule (Oh, the irony of using the word for this story!), I don’t like books that show child characters running away from home. But this book handles the situation perfectly! The boy’s impulsive decision is nicely counterbalanced by his later uncertainty and Walter’s practical advice. I just wish the ending had offered better completion. It does stop on a positive note, with realisation (and hunger) dawning, but it stops at the plan than on the subsequent action. To see their actual return home and an acceptance that rules exist for a reason would have elevated the story further.

The text seems to cater to the purpose of the book well. There are some tough words, but as this isn't meant to be a children’s book, these words could easily be explained to kids by their older reading partners. There is tremendous feeling behind the prose. Whether joy or annoyance or frustration or patience, every emotion comes across beautifully through the text as well as the illustrations. There are also plenty of quotable quotes: some funny, some wise. Sample this amazing line: “The day should start when I wake up. I should not have to wake up to start the day.” Yes, please! show less

Don't miss this opportunity to read an outstanding book designed for children and appreciated by their adults! Noah takes us on a day journey with a boy and his teddy bear sidekick as they venture beyond the walls of their home, literal and perceived. Noah has a great gift for writing with a humorous sensibility that speaks volumes about living in a communal world. Seen through the eyes of the little boy, which he admits was inspired by his curious childhood, the reader finds some lessons along the way. The illustrations are gentle, inviting and enchanting. Charming, delightful and beautifully bound, this is a perfect gift for someone in your life.

How can we utilize imagination to explore and ultimately resolve conflict? INTO THE UNCUT GRASS ponders this through a fable about a boy and his bear friend, Walter.

“It’s a picture book, but it’s not a children’s book.”

The simplistic nature of the story allows the deeper meaning to unfold in such a beautiful way, inviting the reader to engage and reflect. Whimsical illustrations evoke nostalgia. Themes include kindness, new perspectives, communication, compromise, and the connections we have to one another. Given the heightened state of conflict that many people are currently feeling, INTO THE UNCUT GRASS is quite a timely read.

A lovely gift book by the incomparable Trevor Noah. He tackles the childhood struggle with obedience and chores vs fun- rather than make his bed and do Saturday jobs, he wants an adventure in the uncut grass beyond his allowed boundaries. Companion Teddy bear Walter acts as a conscience, who is for the moment ignored. Lessons are learned about stubbornness, compromise, differences, and wonder. Beautiful illustrations evoke the memory of days when each new day held unlimited possibility, but home was the best place to land.

Into the Uncut Grass is an illustrated fable about a young boy’s journey into the uncut grass beyond his home when he wants to escape his morning chores.

This book is filled with Trevor Noah’s humor, and after reading the small introduction from Noah in the front, the story itself kind of reads like a moment from his childhood.

Sabina Hahn’s illustrations are simple and cute and really capture the imagination of a child. This book really reminded me of both Pooh Bear and of course, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse.

I’m not sure what this is supposed to be categorized as - graphic novel, fiction, children’s… someone dropped “literary graphic novel” out too when I was reading reviews… regardless, I enjoyed it, it show more was cute. show less

A short fable (took me about 10 minutes to read) with some darling illustrations about a young boy (presumably Noah) and his talking teddy bear, Walter. Their morning adventure of running away "into the uncut grass" has them coming across a few characters who help lead the adventure.

Not sure why my library has this in the Adult Graphic Novel section. It felt more like it would have been better classified as a Juvenile Graphic Novel or even a Picture book to be read by parent to child.

In any case, it was an enjoyable read with its accompanying illustrations giving life to the adventure.

I feel like these have all been hits so far! Something I really enjoyed about this one in particular is the art style. I liked that it looked like a watercolor painting, I think it really added to my enjoyment of the book. I think overall it was a nice story about how grownups may feel to kids. I think it can be hard when you're young to realize that parents aren’t making rules just to make your life miserable but in order to make you a better person in the long run. I don’t think I had ever seen this topic explored in the way that it was in this book, and I could definitely see it being very beneficial for kids to read in order to try to understand rules and parents a little bit better. I definitely enjoyed this one and the message show more that it had. show less