Sanji and the Baker

by Robin Tzannes, Korky Paul (Illustrator)

A humorous and imaginative picture book for younger readers, set in the Middle East, recounting the downfall of the wicked baker who takes the young man, Sanji, to the Courts of Justice.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Economics, Humor

32 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 1993

About the author

Robin Tzannes is an American author and creative director for advertising. He has contributed children’s book reviews to The New York Times and led workshops on writing and other topics.

Reviews

[Cecily]

This was a favourite of my child’s, years ago. It’s a version of a traditional story, including the humorous moral twist to ensure a happy ending. Korky Paul’s illustrations are atmospheric, but slippery about time and place - we enjoyed many books illustrated by him.


Image: “Sanji stood dreamily, sniffing and whiffing. He didn’t see the baker staring up at him.”


I was reminded of this when I read Tina Connoly’s delicious short story, The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections, which I reviewed HERE.


Image: Sanji gets help from his friends

[Melki]

Quite an enjoyable tale about a greedy baker who attempts to charge his upstairs neighbor for all the delicious smells that waft upward from his bakery. (And who says NOTHING in life is free?)

With unusual illustrations by Korky Paul.

[LeeAnne]

Sanji and the Baker
A Classic!!! I can't believe this book is out of print.



One of my favorites. This is a very funny, charming story that teaches children of all ages a moral lesson about greed and economics with a very subtle hand. The illustrations are fun, colorful and gorgeous.



Sanji, a sweet gentle man, rents a little apartment above a bakery. Every day Sanji goes out on his balcony and enjoys the smells that float up from the bakery below: warm sweet rolls and crunchy biscuits.



One day the grumpy baker insists Sanji pay him for the smells he has been enjoying. Sanji is poor and has no money so the baker takes him to court. The wise judge tells Sanji to return the next day with 5 silver coins. Sanji must borrow from everyone he knows for the five coins, but... the coins are not to pay the baker. Read the book and find out how the wise judge uses the 5 silver coins to teach a very valuable and amusing lesson.

[Mir]

Now I want sweet bread.

[Amanda Brooke]

I tried but never guessed what Sanji was carrying on his adventures. When revealed it gave me a chuckle. Who did he borrow money from?

[JustOneMoreBook.com]

Argh!!! Another fabulous book that’s out of print. I sure hope you can find this great book at your local library.

This hilarious and thought-provoking tale of greed gets squeals of delight time after time.

Listen to our chat about this book on our JustOneMoreBook.com Children's Book Podcast:

http://www.justonemorebook.com/2006/1...

[Mathew]

A story based on the dangers of greed and avarice, this is a lovely little retelling of an old story. Korky Paul manages some great metatextual references in here and Tzannes tells the story well. Children will enjoy exploring Korky's landscape although it remains difficult to work out the setting other than 'Middle-East'.

[Dirk Grobbelaar]

The artwork in this book is delightful. It also happens to be quite a nice little story.

[Beth Anderson]

I’ve heard several variations of this story. It’s a great read-aloud with a surprise ending that gets kids thinking. The illustrations take you to a far away place and are chock full of interesting details. Pure fun!

[ConnieLettow]

Variations of this tale are found around the world, the variant being the sense that is stolen and the manner in which the so-called thief must repay her (or his) debt. This book's strength is it's amazing illustrations. We absolutely loved to look at the pictures!

[Ché Constable]

Wow! What an amazing book. Many opportunities to explore greed and discuss what it means to be generous with children. This story is a prime example of how greed can get the better of some people in this world and therefore would be a great discussion point within a classroom.

[Tweedledum]

Korky Paul is a brilliant illustrator of children’s books. No matter how many times you read one of his books you can spot something you didn’t notice before. This is a great addition to fans of Winnie the Witch.

[Don Gubler]

Merchant of Venice style justice a child can understand.

[Batu]

Hoş bir mesajı var. Çizimler de güzel. Beş yıldız vermemek için sebep yok.

[Parsley]

Brilliant story and gorgeous drawings (plus Winnie has a cameo in it too, so it must be good)

[Lizixer]

From the wonderful artwork by Korky Paul to the excellent punch line to the story that makes me like judges (well fictional ones), this picture book is a keeper. Even though our copy is battered because we rescued it from a 'last chance' box at a Give and Take stall, it will always stay on the "to be treasured" shelf. And I never tire of reading it aloud to the kids...

[Lori]

One of our favorite children's books. We've read it over and over.

[Abbie]

Great kids book. It teaches a great lesson. I love reading this out loud because the characters are so funny to imitate.

[Kathleen Clarke]

This is a wonderful book on problem solving and justice. Is justice served by the solution of problem? My text to text connection is the biblical story of The Wisdom of Solomon.

[Dony Grayman]

Libro ilustrado de Ediciones Fortuna que por suerte costó muchísimo menos.

[Naomi Forrest]

Lovely book that my son really enjoyed. The Korky Paul illustrations are fantastic and you discover something new every time! Great message and good suspense for children, my son loved the twist!

(P.s. It is back in print!)