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101st out of 120 books
—
85 voters
The Sweetest Fig
"These figs are very special," the woman whispered. "They can make your dreams come true." -- Thus Monsieur Bibot, the cold-hearted dentist, was given two ordinary-looking figs as payment for extracting a tooth from an old woman's mouth. Monsieur Bibot refused to believe such nonsense and proceeded to eat one of the figs for a bedtime snack. Although it was possibly the fi...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
October 25th 1993
by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
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Mar 15, 2012
Emily
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
kiddos, fig newton?, date vs figs, i need a lesson
Recommended to Emily by:
Carol
Shelves:
childrens,
oh-those-frenchies
These are figs. They may or may not be magical:
Monsieur Bibot is a fussy dentist who keeps everything neat and clean and is crazily fanatical about about his dog, Marcel, jumping on the furniture. One morning, Bibot's life changes as he helps an old woman with a toothache but refuses to give her the proper pain medication without payment. She gives him two special figs as Bibot shoves the old woman out of the door.
Hilarity ensues as Bibot eats the first fig and discovers his nightly dreams are...more
Monsieur Bibot is a fussy dentist who keeps everything neat and clean and is crazily fanatical about about his dog, Marcel, jumping on the furniture. One morning, Bibot's life changes as he helps an old woman with a toothache but refuses to give her the proper pain medication without payment. She gives him two special figs as Bibot shoves the old woman out of the door.
Hilarity ensues as Bibot eats the first fig and discovers his nightly dreams are...more
This is my Author Study book.
This book is about a greedy dentist who sees a patient who cannot pay for her visit. since she cannot give money, she pays with a fig. The dentist's dog who he occasionally mistreats, by accidentally eats the fig that makes all your "dreams come true". The dog's dream comes true, and his owner is turned into a dog. Though Chris Van Allsburg did not win the Caldecott award for this book, I still think he did a nice job illustrating this story. He did an excellent job...more
This book is about a greedy dentist who sees a patient who cannot pay for her visit. since she cannot give money, she pays with a fig. The dentist's dog who he occasionally mistreats, by accidentally eats the fig that makes all your "dreams come true". The dog's dream comes true, and his owner is turned into a dog. Though Chris Van Allsburg did not win the Caldecott award for this book, I still think he did a nice job illustrating this story. He did an excellent job...more
The Sweetest Fig is a wickedly funny fable about greed and kindness. Monsieur Bibot is a dentist--a tad fussy in both his personal and professional life. He is more concerned with his own needs and wants than with those of his pet dog, Marcel, or his clients.
When an old woman, unable to pay for his dental services offers him magic figs instead, M. Bibot rushes her out of his office--without the pain medication he has promised, since she has no money to pay for it. The old woman has told M. Bibot...more
When an old woman, unable to pay for his dental services offers him magic figs instead, M. Bibot rushes her out of his office--without the pain medication he has promised, since she has no money to pay for it. The old woman has told M. Bibot...more
I absolutely loved this book! The twist at the end was entertaining. Starting off with the dentist who seems to be all about perfection, helps a lady who is pain. After removing her tooth, he said he would give her pain killers. However the lady is unable to pay with money but instead pays him with two figs. The lady claims that they will make his dreams come true. The dentist was furious and did not give her the pain killers. After the dentist went home he ate one of the figs, it was one of the...more
Book type: Picture storybook (fantasy)
Intended Audience: Can be read by five year olds, and can also be used for writing activities in fourth grade
Although some people perhaps feel that their enjoyment of Van Allsburg was taken away when his two Caldecott illustration winners, Jumanji and Polar Express, were turned into children's movies, I cannot say the same for myself. I'd seen both movies and had not read the books and was blown away by the writing and the illustrations. I really enjoyed th...more
Intended Audience: Can be read by five year olds, and can also be used for writing activities in fourth grade
Although some people perhaps feel that their enjoyment of Van Allsburg was taken away when his two Caldecott illustration winners, Jumanji and Polar Express, were turned into children's movies, I cannot say the same for myself. I'd seen both movies and had not read the books and was blown away by the writing and the illustrations. I really enjoyed th...more
In Chris Van Allsburg's world, people--and sometimes dogs--get their just desserts, and this picture book is no exception. When Monsieur Bibot helps an elderly woman with a toothache, she pays him with two figs that will make his dreams come true. Disappointed that she gave him no money, he refuses to give her pills for the pain. After eating one fig, he has a most extraordinary day as his crazy dreams from the night before have improbably come true. He hypnotizes himself so that when he sleeps,...more
I am really becoming hooked on Van Allsberg’s writing. The illustrations and story are absolutely captivating. This book is a bit smaller than the other books are. It is also composed in a vertical fashion like “The widow’s broom” is. The illustrator chose dot illustration again, but this time with dark mauve, brown, cream, and dark colors in a lighter hue. I think the dot illustrations would be interesting for a young reader to look at, I think they would want to scan the picture and see how al...more
The Sweetest Fig is yet another Chris Van Allsburg book that I loved! The ending has a sort of twist to it, like most of his books.
Before I even opened the book, I noticed that the font of the title was done in a "fancy cursive" writing. That coupled with the way he was eating the fig and how he was dressed on the cover made me think that this character was going to be snooty and maybe trying put on a facade that he was better than other people.
The illustrations in this book are done in a very s...more
Before I even opened the book, I noticed that the font of the title was done in a "fancy cursive" writing. That coupled with the way he was eating the fig and how he was dressed on the cover made me think that this character was going to be snooty and maybe trying put on a facade that he was better than other people.
The illustrations in this book are done in a very s...more
I really enjoyed looking at Allsburg's illustrations as I feel like I am taking a trip to a museum. His pictures are so realistic looking as if they were photographs. I feel his illustrations have this strong white borders to give more of the impression of looking at a picture. His vivid drawings bring the characters to life. I feel as if they are almost real people I am looking at. I wonder if he uses anyone as inspiration for the characters he draws.
This is a story of a greedy man who only...more
The Sweetest Fig tells the story of a dentist who took in a final client for the day and pulled her rotten. She did not have any money but only the sweetest two figs that she told the dentist could make your dreams come true. The dentist did not pay her any attention but rather grew increasinly angry at her lack of being a "paying customer." Nonetheless, he threw her out. Subsequently, he decided to eat one of the figs as a snack and sure enough, his dreams from the previous night were beginnin...more
Additional choice book:
The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg is about a dentist, Monsieur Bibot, who worked on a woman’s tooth one day. The woman did not have any money, so she paid him in figs. She gave him two figs and said they could make his dreams come true. One night he ate a fig for a bedtime snack and the next day the dream he had came true! He realized he needed to use the second fig wisely. Every night before he went to sleep he told himself he was the richest man on earth. He starte...more
The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg is about a dentist, Monsieur Bibot, who worked on a woman’s tooth one day. The woman did not have any money, so she paid him in figs. She gave him two figs and said they could make his dreams come true. One night he ate a fig for a bedtime snack and the next day the dream he had came true! He realized he needed to use the second fig wisely. Every night before he went to sleep he told himself he was the richest man on earth. He starte...more
Throughout the entire story, Van Allsburg tends to remain consistent in his colors of choice. The whole story is shown through different shades of brown which I feel draws the reader away from actually becoming a part of the story. He is also very consistent with his placement of text on each page. He places each text box in the upper right or left hand corner on every page depending on the position of his illustrations. The illustrations throughout the entire book also reveal an interesting eff...more
Sweetest Fig is a creepy little book, Van Allsburg seems to like to write stories that leave the reader wondering about reality and fantasy and challenge our understanding of both. The Sweetest Fig also includes a dog, another common theme in his picture books. He must be a dog lover.
The Dentist in this story, Monsieur Bibot, a nasty little man, treats his dog with disdain and sometimes his patients as well. An elderly woman comes to him for a bad tooth, late one evening. He helps her hoping to...more
The Dentist in this story, Monsieur Bibot, a nasty little man, treats his dog with disdain and sometimes his patients as well. An elderly woman comes to him for a bad tooth, late one evening. He helps her hoping to...more
When I read “The Sweetest Fig” by Chris Van Allsburg, I was very intrigued by the pictures. I also enjoyed the story. It is about a man who is always very angry. He has a dog who he is very strict with and you can very much tell that the dog is unhappy. One day a woman approaches this angry man and offers him two figs. The angry man was very hostile with the woman but accepted the figs anyway. When he ate the first one, he had marvelous dreams that came to life the next day. Knowing what the fig...more
The Sweetest Fig was a very interesting book, especially for a child. Like most of Chris Van Allsburg’s books, the plot was somewhat strange and multilayered. To me, this book would be slightly confusing for a child. In the end, it isn’t exactly clear what happened and even I had to really think about it and make sure I figured it out. I did really enjoy the illustrations though! I love that they were original and definitely helped to tell the story. But because the colors were dull, a young rea...more
I thought this book was written very well. The pictures seemed very realistic and the illustrating captured Bibots personality very well! Bilbot is very stuck up and into himself and the way he looked did that very well. I thought this books would have more of a lesson to teach to children, but unfortunately not so much. I think this book could range from Kindergarten till 4th grade. It's the type of book that helps kids stretch the imagination of what the "magic" figs could do.
As a child i alwa...more
As a child i alwa...more
Feb 06, 2012
Cassandra Gray
added it
This book, in my opinion lends a great story for children. I believe that they can relate almost instantly because many children have encounters with dentists that vary from scary, funny, adventurous and much more. I love that the story began with this grumpy, not so nice dentist that many children fear, and twisting it into a magical story that made the dog become the important character. It was clever and humorous to end the way it did. I think that many kids would love to read this tale. It w...more
The sweetest fig is the story of an angry dentist; Monsieur Bibot and his dog Marcel. Bibot is takes his dog walking but often pulls him from the bushes. one day at work Monsieur Bibot extracts the teeth of an older lady with no money to pay for it. Instead the older lady gives Monsieur Bibot two figs and told him, these two figs would make his dreams come true. The man ate a fig later that day, when he woke up in the morning he was walking the street of Paris in his underwear; just as he had in...more
Sep 19, 2012
Ashleigh Smithers
added it
This book is a good book. The plot of this book was a good one. I did not see what was going to happen. The Sweetest Fig will capture the attention of a child because of the dog and how mean the man treats the dog. They see the world through a different set of lens; I believe that they would learn a lesson through this book. The lesson I think that this book gives off is that you never know what is going to happen in life so you have to be nice to everyone. I think that this is a good lesson to...more
The Sweetest Fig, written by Chris Van Allsburg, takes place in Paris and the main character's name is Monsieur Bibot. Monsieur Bibot is a fussy and not friendly dentist, whose life changes because of a fig. These figs that Monsieur Bibot receives as payment from an old woman with a toothache were not ordinary figs; they make dreams come true. This is a funny story for all ages, teaching readers that you need to treat others as you would like to be treated. The Sweetest Fig contained tromp l'oei...more
Who doesn't enjoy a story about a rude, greedy dentist getting what they deserve? Bibot, a french dentist, has an old woman for a patient one day. After doing work on her teeth, the woman can only pay Bibot with special figs, for she has no money. Bibot takes the figs, but is upset with the woman and shoves her out the door of his office without pain medication. Later that evening, Bibot eats one of the figs and realizes just how special they are when his dreams, no matter how embarassing they a...more
I don't believe that I've ever finished a Chris Van Allsburg book with any initial response other than "Wow!" He truly is one of the most consistently excellent picture book creators whose work I have ever experienced.
The Sweetest Fig is a tale of subtle foreshadowing, done so elegantly and with such skill that the seemingly innocuous story carries an undercurrent of tangible suspense. How rare is real suspense in a picture book, I ask you?
Bibot, a French dentist who is used to rigid order in...more
The Sweetest Fig is a tale of subtle foreshadowing, done so elegantly and with such skill that the seemingly innocuous story carries an undercurrent of tangible suspense. How rare is real suspense in a picture book, I ask you?
Bibot, a French dentist who is used to rigid order in...more
Sep 18, 2011
Nicolas Robles
added it
The story revolves around a dentist and very firm man named Babo. He kept everything very clean and was not very nice to his dog. He did some work on this old lady and since she had no money for him she ended up giving him two magical figs which were said to make all of his dreams come true. The figs end up working and he tries to save the last one so he tries really hard to think of a dream of life and luxury before he eats it. The end has a neat little twist and i think would be something fun...more
This was about a very mean dentist who mistreats his dog. One day, instead of payment, a woman gave the man two figs that she said would make his dreams come true. After eating the first fig, the man finds out that this is indeed true, and that the figs have magical powers. He rehearses and rehearses until he is certain that he will dream about being the richest man alive. He sets to eat the last fig, but the mistreated dog sneaks up and eats it first. You find that after the dog fell asleep, th...more
I really enjoyed The Sweetest Fig. I had two other Van Allsburg books I had chosen to read and was not looking forward to this one as much as the others. However, I was pleasantly surprised. From the cover you don't get much other than a snooty looking man eating a fig, but the book surprisingly had depth. I love books with any sort of positive lesson and was not disappointed by this one. I did not understand the concept in the middle of the book until Van Allsburg explained it a little more in...more
The Sweetest Fig written by Chris Van Allsburg is a great book for children. It teaches a lesson and a little bit about morals. THe art work as always in Van Allsburg's books is superb. His illustrations are just amazing and fun to really look at and investagate, not only what is happening the the forground of the photo but all through out the photo as well. This bok tells a story about a mean old denist [and lets be honest who really likes the denist] and what happens to him. He eats some magic...more
This is the story of a cold Parisian dentist called Bibot. The words in the story have a calm tone, as do the pictures. However, the illustrations take the story further by showing events that the text only implies. The reader of Van Hallsburg stories will see how he does this in all his books. While his words are carefully chosen, his dry drawings are absolutely perfect, explicit, and full of feeling. The colors chosen are muted, soft, letting the drawings do the talking. The words tell you Bib...more
Feb 05, 2012
Katie Sokol
added it
I honestly thought this was an awesome book. The illustrations were wonderful, the plot was captivating and exciting, and honestly I wish I had this book read to me when I was a child. This is one of those books that kids can fall asleep too, because the storyline provides enough information for kids to create an entire scene with their eyes closed in bed. It is important for stories to bring out the creativity, and this book dealing with magic figs definitely does. There are funny parts of this...more
The Sweetest Fig is an interesting , twisted story of a mean man who dreams of being the richest man ever. A an old lady pays this bitter dentist with magical figs. The man realizes that the the figs are indeed magic after trying the first fig. His plan is to dream of of something the night he eats the fig. But when his dog, who he treats meanly each day, eats the fig, the man's life takes a turn for the worst. Instead of being the richest man, he becomes man's best friend. An enjoyable read wit...more
The Sweetest Fig was a story about a grumpy old man who was granted magical figs that would make his dreams come true. The author uses a portrait style book but inside the illustrations cover both pages making it more of a landscape. The pages all have a soft white border and the text is in a box inside the illustration in the upper right or left corners. I think the author does this so the detailed illustrations are not interrupted with. The color pallet for the book is very neutral; most of th...more
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Chris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 18, 1949, the second child of Doris Christiansen Van Allsburg and Richard Van Allsburg. His sister Karen was born in 1947.
Chris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (and made the ot...more
More about Chris Van Allsburg...
Chris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (and made the ot...more
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May 05, 2012 12:39pm