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Review: Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah
This book invites readers to investigate their beliefs, rise above their biases, and look for creative ways to bridge gaps and resolve misunderstandings
South African comedian Trevor Noah’s book Into the Uncut Grass tells a tender and heartwarming tale about friendship, rebellion, and the journey from petulance to maturity. It revolves around the adventures of an unnamed boy and his best friend Walter, who is a bear.
Frustrated with the endless household chores assigned by his mother, and the tyrannical rules that she lays down for him, the boy plots an escape. He wants to be left alone to do as he pleases. Walter does not share the boy’s enthusiasm about running away but he cannot let down his pal.
The mother’s expectations are listed out in a sing-song rhyme meant to serve as a mnemonic device: “Brush our teeth so our breath smells clean, wash our face in case we are seen, comb our hair to keep the lice away, and make our bed so we can start the day.” It sounds a bit contrived but captures effectively the gulf between what adults deem essential and children find pointless.
The book is divided into four parts: Awake, The Gate, Into the Woods, and Crossroads. As the boy and the bear venture further away from home, they meet a garden gnome, snails with colourful shells, a leaf monster, and coins that speak. These encounters become opportunities to face the unknown and develop courage. Simultaneously, they also learn to appreciate the safety, comfort and familiar rhythms of home that one might take for granted and even resent.
The author infuses the fable — an ancient literary form going back to the Panchatantra, Hitopadesha, and Jataka Tales — with his contemporary sensibilities. Like those classic stories, Noah’s tale has talking animals and moral lessons, yet the voice is unmistakably modern.
This book even recalls TS Eliot’s Little Gidding, part of the American-British poet’s famous Four Quartets, where he writes, “We shall not cease from exploration / And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time.”
Noah’s fans, especially readers of his memoir Born a Crime, will recognise echoes of his life, particularly his complicated relationship with his mother. “She would tell me to tie my shoelaces, I would argue that the knots made it harder to get my shoes off,” he recalls in Into the Uncut Grass. “She would demand that I clean my room, I would insist that it looked better in chaos.” These lines depict how a child’s need for autonomy clashes with a parent’s need for order.
Dipping into autobiographical material for inspiration, the New York-based author has written a book that will strike an emotional chord with readers across age groups. In the introduction, he writes, “It’s a picture book, but it’s not a children’s book. Rather, it is a book for kids to share with parents and for parents to share with kids. A world for both to explore as their imaginations take them away.” The author succeeds in evoking empathy for the boy as well as his mother.
When the boy says, “And what does she know about being a kid?”, one can witness his pain, which comes from feeling unheard. Walter replies, “Actually, I think all grown-ups start as children, that’s what they’re grown up from.” This is a humorous moment but it also conveys a profound truth: when adults make and enforce rules, they often do forget that they were children not so long ago, and they used to resent having their freedom curtailed by parents and teachers.
The boy articulates why he hates making his bed: “It stretches itself and becomes bigger so the sheet doesn’t fit. It swallows me with blankets whenever I try to cover it. And the whole time, the pillows frown like unhappy uncles.” This is a hilarious description, and utterly relatable for generations of children who have struggled with making the bed, because he says, “If every day begins with a battle, how can I ever find peace?”
At the same time, one can also understand that adults are responsible for children, so they do have to provide structure and lay down certain guidelines for the sake of the latter’s well being.
You could read this book as a conversation between the author’s current self and his younger one, reflecting not only on the parent-child relationship but also on what it means to come of age.
New York-based illustrator Sabina Hahn, who grew up in Latvia, helps readers visualize the boy and the bear’s journey through her delicate sketches, filled out with watercolours. She opts for simplicity, leaving plenty of white space on each page, allowing text and image to breathe. The illustrations also emphasize the boy’s innocence. At one point, he says, “We’ll build our own house. And we’ll grow our own waffles!” Walter tells him, “I don’t think that’s how you get waffles”. This is accompanied by a hilarious image of the boy watering waffles that emerge from the soil.
Another aspect worth highlighting is its celebration of the human ability to imagine. Noah writes, “Imagining… is crucial for conflict resolution… Imagination allows us to step outside of entrenched positions and explore new perspectives, to conceive of compromises that were previously invisible.” The distance from home gives the boy a chance to see his relationship with his mother differently, just as Noah is now able to see his bond with his mother in a new light.
The book is also a tribute to her, and a powerful reminder of the fact that love can survive differences and disagreements if the people involved are brave enough to look for common ground. Their shared love of books became the safe, non-hierarchical space where Noah and his mother “could meet without judgment” as “just two explorers sharing stories”.
Into the Uncut Grass invites readers to investigate their beliefs, rise above their biases, and look for creative and pragmatic ways to bridge gaps and resolve misunderstandings. It is worth reading because it holds up a mirror, but without blaming and shaming, and it exudes kindness. It also makes one appreciate how the company of trees and animals leads humans to fresh insights and realizations.
Chintan Girish Modi writes about books, films, art and music. He can be reached @chintanwriting on Instagram and X.
