Pat Hutchins

Pat Hutchins

I have chosen this particular illustrator because I think she has produced a successful picture book that gets children involved and allows them to interact with the pages. The story follows Rosie the hen on her travels, but the reader is drawn to the fox character. The fox stalks the hen gradually getting closer to catching her, but faces some obstacles along the way. The reader is drawn to looking for the fox's location each time the page is turned.

I think the book is aimed at young readers both male and female. A child has a basic understanding from a young age of the prey and predator concept. They can see the fox is a threat to the hen, which adds more suspense as the book is read. Although the text focuses on Rosie the hen, we are focused on the fox as we want to see if she catches her prey. I think the silence of the fox is clever as it adds to the character's sly movements. As a reader we do not need text to understand the character's actions.

The book is considered a classic, but still in my opinion has a contemporary style. The aesthetic of her work has a collage quality to it. Hutchins' illustrations are quite decorative and follow a similar look in her other picture books such as The Surprise Party.