Apple Grumble

Gr 2-4–They say that one bad apple spoils the bunch, and the titular apple from Bad Apple returns to prove it. Round, green, and probably a little tart, Apple is mean and grumpy. His grandmother—Granny Smith, naturally—asks him to behave, but he refuses. More and more apples join the book, each one named after a real variety. Braeburn is a cool jock, for instance, and Jazz plays saxophone. Even a pineapple shows up, much to the chagrin of Apple. He feels the book is too crowded. Instead of making friends, he puts the other apples into a pie dish and covers them in crumble. The implication is that Apple will get his wish to have the book all to himself. Sanders’s artwork is immediately charming. The apples are beautiful shades of red and green inked onto textured paper. Simple line drawings create expressive eyes and arms, giving each fruit a unique personality. Sanders uses spreads sparingly but to great effect. Overall, the book’s layout is clean and clear. Apples cavort on one page, and bold, basic text stands opposite. The shallow characterization almost serves as a parody of more moralizing tales. But where Jory John invites readers to empathize with his Bad Seed, Jones and Sanders relish this apple’s bad behavior.