The Verts: A Story of Introverts and Extroverts - Ann Patchett - ★★★★.½

AUTHOR: Ann Patchett

ILLUSTRATOR: Robin Preiss Glasser

GENRE: Children's Picture Book

PUBLICATION DATE: September 17, 2024

RATING: 4.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: What a beautiful picture book about introverts and extroverts! Loved the concept, the execution, and the illustrations! This book gets a seal of approval from this introvert. Finally, a book written by this popular author works for me!

Plot Preview:

The Vert family – comprising Mr. and Mrs. Vert and their kids Estie and Ivan, and of course, Grandmother Vert – have come together to celebrate Ivan’s birthday. Ivan is shy at all the attention, but Estie relishes it. As she enjoys the day, a thought suddenly hits her – it can’t be a birthday without a big birthday bash, right? So Estie rushes to invite all their neighbours and friends for a party to make the occasion a memorable one for Ivan. But is this what Ivan really wants?

Did you know Ann Patchett writes children’s books as well? I didn’t! To be fair, I am not yet a fan of her novels, as I ended up disliking ‘The Dutch House’, the only adult novel of hers I have tried. However, the title and the blurb of this one were too attractive to ignore, and I grabbed it without even noticing who the author was. What a lovely happenchance! I simply adored this book!

As an introvert myself, I could feel Ivan’s pain with every subsequent guest that walked in through the Vert door for his birthday party. Just like him, I prefer spending this day only with my immediate family, and sometimes, my books for company. The world, however, doesn’t understand introversion. Right from our childhood years, everyone wants us to be extroverted, to speak in front of a class, to volunteer for activities, to join team sports... No one bothers to ask introverts if they enjoy this ordeal. This beautiful picture book affirms the fact that not everyone wants a hullaballoo of a party with guests and dancing and games, and that it is perfectly fine to have a birthday just enjoying the simple pleasures of life such as reading a book or blowing bubbles from your balcony.

What I especially appreciate is that the book doesn’t take sides. Estie does her thing, and Ivan does his, and the story allows them both to be happy in their own way without feeling the pressure to be more like the other.

Estie and Ivan are perfect characters for this story. Estie is the extrovert and Ivan is the introvert – easy to remember their personality through the alliterative name cues. I love how hard poor Estie tries to make everything nice for Ivan, and how, even when she can’t understand his reluctance, she tries to see his point of view. They are the sweetest of siblings even with their contrary personalities. Their close bond is quite evident.

The Vert family elevates this gem of a book even further. I simply loved how accepting the two parents were of their children. Even when Grandmother Vert complains about and compares the kids, the parents show patience and understanding and never insist that one behave like the other. My heart melted when Mr. Vert said, “Ivan is Ivan, and Estie is Estie, which is just the way we like it.” Such unconditional acceptance!

The story is written in simple text, with an appropriate use of emotions and exclamations. The layout makes excellent use of the space, never cluttering the page with excessively large text blocks but spreading them out neatly.

The illustrations are fantabulous! I can’t praise them enough! Picture books often opt for simplistic drawings and single-hued pastels to keep its little readers from getting distracted, but this one offers a visual delight with its gorgeous detailing. Right from the clothes to the décor of the Vert house to the neighbours’ pets, every element is rich and intricate. The characters come from varied racial and age backgrounds, and one is even a blind man with a cane. A special shoutout to Mrs. Blanche and her pretty salwaar-kameez! The Vert ladies and Ivan have such stunning curls – I am more than a bit jealous. 😅 The bright melange of hues might be overwhelming to those with subtler artistic tastes, but this colour-loving reader relished every page.

I found it amusing that all the characters have last names that indicate a colour, albeit in French. Vert, Blanche, Brun, Noir, Bleu, Jaune… The character names are as much a riot of colours as the pages of the book.

All in all, I loved almost everything about this book. It goes way over the top, but in such a whimsically wacky way that it is sure to be fun for little ones.

Much recommended. This book helps us understand and embrace differences in temperaments and personality traits, and would work nicely in homes as well as classrooms. The writing makes it a perfect fit for ages 4-8.

My thanks to Harper Collins for allowing access to the DRC of “The Verts: A Story of Introverts and Extroverts” via Edelweiss+. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Adult introverts who seek a book that validates your feelings might want to try Susan Cain's 'Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking' - it's probably among the few nonfiction books that voice introvert feelings accurately.