"The Stinky Cheese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales" by Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith

"The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales" 

by Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith

56 pages /  Print / Fairy Tale

Summary: From the introduction of the book, the author tells us that these are not just fairy tales, but "fairly stupid" fairy tales. Your favorite fairly tales have been transformed into new, funny ones using familiar and new characters. Characters in each of the fairly tales find themselves in the middle of other ones, making this a very entertaining book to read. The fairy tales that are "stupidly" retold are: :Chicken Little"("Chicken Licken"), "The Princess and the Pea" ("The Princess and the Bowling Ball"), "The Ugly Duckling" ("The Really Ugly Duckling"), "The Frog Prince"(“The Other Frog Prince”), "Little Red Riding Hood" ("Little Red Running Shorts") , Jack and the Bean Stalk ("Jack's Bean Problem"), Cinderella/Rumpelstiltskin ("Cinderumpelstiltskin"), "The Tortoise and the Hare" ("The Tortoise and the Hair"), and "The Gingerbread Man" ("The Stinky Cheese Man").

 Evaluation: This book is a collection of fractured fairy tales retold in a unique and funny way。Students love fractured fairy tales because they give a different way of looking at a story, which creates different questions to answer about story elements. Fractured fairy tales also are very funny, which students will appreciate. "The Stinky Cheese Man an Other Fairly Stupid Tales" is also wonderfully illustrated. The creepy and gross way each character and setting is drawn adds to the effect of the book. Fractured Fairy tale books are also great for teaching students that traditional stories are fun to recreate. This could lead to an assignment that makes the student make a fractured fairy tale of their own.

Appeal Terms: fairytale, leisurely, dark, humorous, magical, multiple plotlines, eccentric, quirky

"Ten Hungry Pigs" by Derek Anderson

"Ten Hungry Pigs" 

by Derek Anderson

40 pages /  Print / Humorous

Summary: One hungry pig decides to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for itself. Ten other pigs smell the sandwich and decide to bring along food of their own. Before you know it, the pigs have made a sandwich so tall that it almost falls over! The pigs friend, a duck, disguises itself as a wolf and scares the ten pigs away, knocking over the sandwich. The original pig and duck get to enjoy their original sandwich of peanut butter and jelly.

Evaluation: The illustrations and repetitive storyline really make this book great. Each time a pig brings more food for the sandwich, the more ridiculous the sandwich looks ( pickles, ice cream, mac and cheese, fruit, fish, pancakes, peas). Children will think that the sandwich is hilarious and get excited for another pig to add the next food. Every pig is dressed in different clothes, and has a different personality. This book can lead to a great follow up activity where the children can draw and share their own tall sandwich and why they picked each food. This book works great in a unit about nutrition or food science.

Appeal Terms: animal, lively, humorous, plot centered, quirky

"Press Here" by Herve Tullet

"Press Here" 

by Herve Tullet

56 pages /  Print / Humorous 

Summary: "Press here. Now press here. Shake the book." "Press here" by Herve Tullet allows you to press different color dots on the page and watch them transform into something else on the next page. Dots multiply and change shape, doing all sorts of magical things.

Evaluation: This book invites the reader to interact and engage with the pages in the book. Through the 56 pages, I found myself smiling the entire time. This book is very original and will win over any reader that picks it up. Warning: if you are easily embarrassed, the do not read the book in public. It will have you clapping, shaking the book, and laughing hysterically. The colors used are very simple, just four primary colors. By keeping the colors and design simple, the author can focus more on the fun aspects of the book. This is a book that is better read alone so you can interact with it directly.

Appeal Terms: realistic, humorous, deliberate, easy, interactive, quirky

"Animalia" by Graeme Base

"Animalia" 

by Graeme Base

32 pages /  Print / Fantasy

Summary: This book is an illustrated alternative alphabet filled with animals doing human things. This book is an adventure to read, with each letter representing a different animal. Also on each page are things that start with that letter. With so many detailed pictures and hidden treasures to find on each page, this book could take longer to read than a chapter book.

Evaluation: This book, like other books I've reviewed on this blog, is a work of art. This book is like your wildest and most strange dream. Because it is an alphabet book, students can learn about letter sounds (phonics) and alliteration (crimson cats,  hairy hippos, etc.). The tongue twisters on each page are fun to read. The book contains one inappropriate sentence that parents should look at before reading it to their child, ("Kid Kookaburra and Kelly Kangaroo kidnap Kitty Koala") showing animals in criminal clothing. This book can be read many times, and you would probably discover something new each time.

Appeal Terms: animal, leisurely, humorous, magical, gentle, quirky

"The Book That Eats People" by John Perry ( Illustrated by Mark Fearing)

"The Book That Eats People" 

by John Perry ( Illustrated by Mark Fearing)

38 pages /  Print / Humorous

Summary: This is simply the book that eats people! This book can smell the food on your hands if you don't wash them. That makes the book hungry. It hides in the library, sometimes disguising itself by putting on a different book's jacket. It will even eat other books in the library! The book kept eating other children until it was locked away in jail. It couldn't be kept in jail for long, so it was sent to the zoo. It would not eat junk food that they sold at the zoo, it only wanted to eat people. Never read this book after eating something delicious, it will smell the food and get hungry. Don't read this book alone! It is the book that eats people!

Evaluation: I really enjoy a book that breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to its readers. The page design in this book is very creative. There is a lot of collage work, and designs borrowed from comic books ( cells, and columns). Some illustrations are made to look like the book was taped together and ripped apart by the monster book. Some pages look like the inside of a stomach of a book that just ate a collection of science textbooks. Creepy. An unexpected monster, a book, is a perfect character to use in a library during Halloween. Students and librarians are the main characters in this book, so they both can find a connection in this book when reading it.

Appeal Terms: science fiction, humorous, fast, foreboding, edgy, magical, creepy, spooky, character centered, quirky

"Tuesday" by David Weisner

   

"Tuesday" 

by David Weisner

32 pages /  E-Book / Sci-Fi

Summary: In the middle of the night, frogs start levitating on lily pads and fly across the night sky. The swarm of flying frogs wreak havoc on the town, terrorizing the dogs in the neighborhood and making a mess of things. The frogs return home to the lake as the sun rises in the morning sky. The next night, it is the pigs turn to fly in the night sky.


Evaluation: An instant favorite of mine. Weisner's use of perspective is truly amazing as he transports us into his world of creativity and magic. The flying frogs reminded me of Moses and the  plague of frogs that inherited Egypt. Perhaps there is an allegory that Weisner is trying to portray? This book, like "The Lion and the Mouse", has very few words. These books are great for children as they are forced to look at the illustrations and create their own story. It makes the reader focus on every inch of the illustration in case they missed some visual clue that is imperative to the plot. Books like these are great for language learners and can help develop an emerging reader's love for books.

Appeal Terms: animal, sci/fic, fast, humorous, magical, action oriented, quirky