Full of Fruit

‘Full of Fruit’ is a playful picture book without words, which encourages readers to look, search and look again like never before. Geert Vervaeke plays with simple, pure forms and vibrant colours that, when combined, produce unexpected new images. By looking closely, the reader discovers that the insects depicted in the book are no ordinary insects: they are made up entirely of different kinds of fruits and vegetables. The dragonfly consists of carrot, lemon, corn, orange, pear, mushroom and grape, while the bee contains an aubergine, orange, pear, olive and cherry. Every page gives us a hint about the vegetables and fruits that are used in the illustration. The longer you look, the more you will discover. Suddenly, fruits, vegetables and insects transcend the mundane.

In ‘Full of Fruit’ Vervaeke experiments with the monotype technique: the fruit and vegetable varieties were cut out of cardboard, inked in black, printed and then processed digitally. This technique has resulted in a graphically powerful book with vibrant colours and surprising images and compositions. Vervaeke hopes that this book will challenge children’s visual literacy and encourage them to let their imagination run wild.