Pinocchio

by Kate McMullan (Adapter), Pascal Lemaître (Illustrator)

When a woodcutter discovers a piece of wood that speaks, he is quick to sell it to a poor puppet-maker named Gepetto. And Pinocchio, the walking, talking, lying puppet comes to life! Pinocchio's adventures take him to the Field of Miracles, where a blind Cat and limping Fox trick him into giving up his money. He accidentally kills a Cricket and is later visited by its helpful ghost. He is cared for by the Blue Fairy and tricked into going to Toyland with his rambunctious schoolmates. And in the end, when his father has been swallowed by a giant shark, Pinocchio finally realizes how his ungrateful ways have hurt the person who most cared for him. As he tries to save Gepetto, he learns that being kind is the best way to repay kindness. Kate McMullan's Pinocchio is the first book in an exciting new graphic chapter book series―Cartoon Classics―that features beloved stories for the contemporary visual reader.

Genres: Classics, Fantasy, Middle Grade

144 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2014

About the author

Kate McMullan is an American children's book author.
She is the author of the Dragon Slayers' Academy series. She is married to author and illustrator James McMullan.

She also has books published under the name: Katy Hall.

Reviews

[Wendy Harkrider · Rating 3 out of 5]

As violent and unpleasant as this story is, in the original story, Pinocchio was killed by a hanging. My son did a paper on the concept of Disneyfication in high school English, and that came out in his research. The Little Mermaid is also MUCH less pleasant, very unpleasant by our modern standards, in its original telling. I suspected this version of Pinocchio would be more in alignment with the original, which I believe it was, but it still managed to stop short of the full dismal brutality of the original story.

Disney changed so many stories. Even 101 Dalmatians as produced by Disney made many changes from the original book. If you've seen "Saving Mr. Banks" it gives you some idea of the real and potential battles between Disney and authors whose works he bought the rights to make his movies, who did not appreciate the change of details from story into film.

So if you're reading fairy tales or folk tales, it is worth considering that you may want to give it a read yourself first.

I thought this one was pretty straight-forward. The message that being irresponsible and selfish isn't going to lead anywhere good remains in tact.

[Laurie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly CANNOT believe this story is available at the library. This is the most inappropriate book I have ever let in my house. And it's Pinocchio! Who would have thought? Almost every chapter Pinocchio is on the brink of death including very graphic illustrations like Pinocchio with feet burned off, hanged, in a coffin, chained like a dog, nailed to fireplace, amputated the "murderer's" hand- and those are just from the first few chapters. None of the pleasantries of the Disney movie. Jiminy Cricket? Killed by Pinocchio. Blue Fairy? DIES. Also, Pinocchio is a total jerk to his father and continually falls for stupid kidnapping and homicidal ploys. At the very least, this should be in the young adult section. I feel terrible that I even started exposing my two year old to this book. Most violent illustrated book award.

[Jojobooks Higgins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did you know that the story of Pinocchio 🤥 started as a weekly story in the late 1800s in a Rome newspaper publication? This is the retelling of how Pinocchio becomes a real boy.
Loved how the author kept true to the classic story with some dark and doom filled themes. Fun bedtime read aloud book. Warning, this book is dark and has violence (old timey nursery rhyme style violence).

[Alice Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice: 5 stars.
Jenny: 3 stars. Interesting retelling of the original story. The chapters are very short, which is nice for reading. The story is a bit darker than the Disney version.

[RedTinted · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good bedtime read. A little darker than the other “fairy tale-like” versions I have read before to the kids. But this was fun too. The chapters are short and illustrations are awesome.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange. Pinocchio constantly made terrible decisions and I never got the sense that he really learned from them. Had many puzzling moments reading this one to the kids. [3/5 stars]

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first installment in the “Cartoon Classics” series, and it offers up Collodi’s Pinocchio in chapter-book format for a new generation of young readers. Cartoon is a misnomer; this is not a graphic novel. The classic story of the adventurous and wayward wooden puppet is retold here in 36 terse chapters that are mostly true to the original. The story at times seems choppy, but that is in keeping with Collodi’s serialized version issued in an 1880s newspaper. It has many of the familiar adventures and characters seen in movies and other versions, but here the escapades sometimes turn bloody and some characters die and inexplicably come back to life. The whale is a giant shark in this version and Pinocchio is genuinely cruel. Nevertheless, the themes of doing good, being honest and resisting temptation triumph and Pinocchio realizes his dream of becoming a real boy once he discovers the power of a good heart. The two-tone cartoons temper the harshness of the tale and will definitely appeal to young readers. Readers not familiar with the original and accustomed to Disney-esque versions may be put off by the violence and lack of soft fuzzies in this version, but fans of adventure will enjoy reading this latest version of Pinocchio. It is an ideal book for reading aloud and begs for compare/contrast discussions. It is a worthwhile addition to any library.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 1 out of 5]

McMullan, Pinocchio (Cartoon Classics) 134 pgs. Henry Holt, 2014. $12.99 Content: Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G Violence: PG13

Retold from the 1880’s Italian newspaper cartoons by Carlo Collodi, this follows the adventures of Pinocchio as he learns to navigate the world and turn from selfish to selfless. It roughly follows the Disney version with many other small stories included. The many illustrations are in black and shades of orange and are simple.

I have fond memories of the Disney version but this more to the original retelling was just disturbing. It featured Pinocchio burning off his own feet, being hung until he died, an illustration of a tiny coffin, and him chained up to a doghouse. There were some other nightmare inducing sequences as well, did I mention he kills Cricket!? I got to a certain point and thought to myself that my life would be better off if I didn’t keep reading, so I didn’t finish the book. Too gruesome for elementary and too childish for middle school.

EL –NO Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author.
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know I'm in the minority here, but I was never a fan of Pinocchio, possibly because I could never imagine doing any of the disobedient things he did, and possibly because he often seems to go from one mistake to the next. Still, despite my dislike of the original story and character, this graphic novel version for young readers works quite well at covering all the events that occur in the life of the wooden puppet who wants to be a puppet, including his many mistakes and the heartbreak he cases to Geppetto and the Blue Fairy as well as the cunning trickery of the Fox and the Cat. Although I still don't like Pinocchio himself with his ever-growing nose, I did like this version of the story, ideal for sharing with others, perhaps as a read aloud over several days.

[meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. it's been a long time since i revisited the (non-disneyfied) classic, and i forgot how truly weird it really is. that said, kate mcmullan did a commendable job of adapting collodi's story in a dynamic and accessible way, and the art of pascal lemaitre is always entertaining. it should also be noted that even though it's a "cartoon classic" it's not actually a graphic novel, but rather a novel with lots of art, including some graphic panels. great for handing young readers looking for abridged classics.

[NYC Reads 365 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The famous adventures of Pinocchio the puppet are here in 36 chapters, with lively cartoon illustrations. Pinocchio survives countless dangers—a hungry puppet-master, greedy murderers, a corrupt judge—as he struggles to do good for his father, Geppetto. Only by proving he has a heart can Pinocchio become a real boy."

[Earline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea the original Pinocchio story was so dark!

[Chloe Terry]

This could be used in a kindergarten class to teach that lying is bad. When Pinocchio lies, his nose grows. It gets him in trouble.

[Amy Fournier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review coming soon

[Natalia Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way this is introduced - and I hope I understood correctly - Kate McMullan studied the original story of Pinocchio as it was first created in Italy in the 1881, and then made an English interpretation complete with pictures. Super cool!! Plus, the story is hilarious! Pinocchio is actually a comedy (with a good moral purpose).

Note: If you're in love with the Disney version - this isn't for you. It's also possible this isn't your brand of humor. I was surprised by how many bad reviews this book has. There was nothing but laughs at my house. Maybe they didn't get it?

Please write more Cartoon Classics!