The Wrench

Elise Gravel combines a contemporary issue with unusual almost Seuss-like characters in The Wrench, a cautionary and entertaining tale for young children.

The winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award for French-language illustration (2012 La cle a molette) has written more than 30 books, among them The Worst Book Ever, Olga: Out of Control!, and titles in the “Disgusting Critters’ series, such as The Fly. Her distinct figures, such as anthropomorphic head lice or shapeless, google-eyed monsters, make her books quickly identifiable.

In The Wrench, a spectacled perhaps-pig named Bob needs a wrench to fix his bicycle. When he can’t find one in the house, he sets out to buy one at Megamart, a big box store with untold numbers of consumer items. The “helpful” salesperson indicates they have plenty of wrenches, but, over three visits, the glib salesperson redirects Bob, leading him each time into buying items he had never intended to buy and for which he has no use - a fridge hat, musical pajamas and a screaming machine - but no wrench.

Bob’s friends’ incredulity and common sense put him straight. Ultimately, Bob realizes that, by sorting out his cupboard, he has no need to buy a wrench; he had only to clean his cupboard to find the one he already owned.

Bob’s dilemma is everyone’s dilemma. Manufacturers produce an astonishing array of fun, glitzy, appealing stuff that makes us hand over our money. These must-haves quickly fall into the category of “Why-did-I-buy-this?” and fall by the wayside. The movement to reduce, reuse and repurpose is teaching us (some of us, anyway) that we often have what we need right at home.

Gravel’s use of repetition - Bob is repeatedly mesmerized by the salesperson’s assertive personality - and his friends’ probing questions - always ending with, “And where’s your wrench?”, will appeal to youngsters and embed the message about resisting overconsumption.

Gravel’s quirky characters will be fun for children to study, and her drawing of Megamart represents most megastores in North America or Europe.

Parents and teachers hoping to teach their children to be less acquisitive now have another tool in their belt (a new one, yes, but a good one).