Van Allsburg, Chris. 1993. The sweetest fig. Illustrated by Chris Allsburg. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN: 0-395-67346-1.
The Sweetest Fig is a classic example of Van Allsburg style. In A Caldecott Celebration Leonard Marcus wisely summed up Van Allsburg�s artistic philosophy: the fun of being an artist lies in dreaming up such odd combinations in which ordinary things come together in surprising ways (31). How does The Sweetest Fig illustrate that point? Van Allsburg combines reality and fantasy into one surprisingly delightful picture book.
Monsieur Bibot is the protagonist of The Sweetest Fig. He is present through text and illustrations as a cruel, unjust, harsh, and greedy man. The text tells us that Bibot is a very fussy man (2). However, the illustrations paint the more truthful picture. In a series of pictures, the reader learns of Bibot�s nature. There are so many pictures that illustrate his unpleasant qualities. For example, on page one, Bibot is pictured with a rolled up newspaper. He is preparing to discipline his dog, Marcel. On page three and four, Bibot is shown taking great pleasure in pulling out an old woman�s tooth. His grin is evil. The text explains the reason for the smile; there was time to make a few extra francs (3). Furthermore, the picture shows him pressing down on the old woman with both his leg and his hand. She looks tortured! The next two pages (5-6) are perhaps the most expressive in the book. Bibot here is displaying his angry temper. He learns that the old woman cannot pay in money � only in so-called magical figs. Bibot values the figs as much as he values the old woman. He refuses to give her painkillers, and shoves her out the door. In that illustration, his brows are furrowed in anger and his fists are clenched in rage. The proceeding pages continue to illustrate his cruel nature. Bibot realizes the woman was telling the truth, and he thinks up a wonderfully evil plan. He will train himself to dream only pleasant things � like him being the richest man in the world. How Bibot realizes the truth is really quite delightful. He realizes it one day as he is walking his dog because he looks down and he is in his underwear! Furthermore, the Eiffel Tower is made of rubber and is bent. The day arrives for him to eat the second fig the old woman gave him. He smiles knowing that Marcel will no longer burden him because in his dreams Bibot had Great Danes (21). Fortunately for Marcel (and the reader) Bibot�s plans are foiled when Marcel also eats a portion of the fig. Bibot wakes up in Marcel�s body!
The Sweetest Fig is not your typical picture book. It is an illustration of poetic justice. Bibot gets everything that he deserves, and Marcel finally is free from his cruel master. The illustrations are outstanding. It is amazing how much detail Van Allsburg puts into each page of the book! The colors of the illustrations are very muted. The browns, blacks, and grays really set the tone of the book. One thing that really stands out is Van Allsburg use of shading. Perhaps the most memorable illustration of this is the final two pages. Chris Van Allsburg�s illustrations outshine his text, but together they are too delightful to resist.