What do you think?
Rate this book
The Clever boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal/ El muchachito listo y el terrible y peligroso animal with CD
Cuando un chico visita otro pueblo, se sorprende al ver que la gente esta aterrorizada por algo que -- como nunca habi an visto antes -- creen ser un terrible y peligroso animal. Usando su conocimiento y demostracio n, el chico los ayuda a sobreponerse al miedo.
Esta historia es parte de una tradicio n oral del Medio Oriente y Asia Central que tiene ma s de mil an os. De forma entretenida, esta historia presenta a los nin os un interesante aspecto de la conducta humana, capacita ndolos asi a reconocerlo en la vida diaria.
Es uno entre muchos otros cuentos pertenecientes al cuerpo de literatura Sufi coleccionados por Idries Shah y presentado aqui como parte de una serie de libros para los pequen os lectores.
Las ilustraciones son de Rose Mary Santiago. Es su segundo ti tulo en esta serie de libros para nin os de Idries Shah, despue s del premiado best-seller La esposa del granjero.
"
Esta historia es parte de una tradicio n oral del Medio Oriente y Asia Central que tiene ma s de mil an os. De forma entretenida, esta historia presenta a los nin os un interesante aspecto de la conducta humana, capacita ndolos asi a reconocerlo en la vida diaria.
Es uno entre muchos otros cuentos pertenecientes al cuerpo de literatura Sufi coleccionados por Idries Shah y presentado aqui como parte de una serie de libros para los pequen os lectores.
Las ilustraciones son de Rose Mary Santiago. Es su segundo ti tulo en esta serie de libros para nin os de Idries Shah, despue s del premiado best-seller La esposa del granjero.
"
Paperback
First published September 1, 2000
3 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Idries Shah
405 books436 followersIdries Shah (Persian: ادریس شاه), also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi (Arabic: سيد إدريس هاشمي), was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen critically acclaimed books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.
Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings centred on magic and witchcraft. In 1960 he established a publishing house, Octagon Press, producing translations of Sufi classics as well as titles of his own. His most seminal work was The Sufis, which appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity devoted to the study of human behaviour and culture. A similar organisation, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), exists in the United States, under the directorship of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.
In his writings, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam. Emphasising that Sufism was not static but always adapted itself to the current time, place and people, he framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. Shah made extensive use of traditional teaching stories and parables, texts that contained multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection in the reader. He is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories.
Shah was at times criticised by orientalists who questioned his credentials and background. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his older brother Omar Ali-Shah, came in for particular scrutiny. However, he also had many notable defenders, chief among them the novelist Doris Lessing. Shah came to be recognised as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at a number of Western universities. His works have played a significant part in presenting Sufism as a secular, individualistic form of spiritual wisdom.
Idries Shah's books on Sufism achieved considerable critical acclaim. He was the subject of a BBC documentary ("One Pair of Eyes") in 1969, and two of his works (The Way of the Sufi and Reflections) were chosen as "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the BBC's "The Critics" programme. Among other honours, Shah won six first prizes at the UNESCO World Book Year in 1973, and the Islamic scholar James Kritzeck, commenting on Shah's Tales of the Dervishes, said that it was "beautifully translated".
The reception of Shah's movement was also marked by much controversy. Some orientalists were hostile, in part because Shah presented classical Sufi writings as tools for self-development to be used by contemporary people, rather than as objects of historical study. L. P. Elwell-Sutton from Edinburgh University, Shah's fiercest critic, described his books as "trivial", replete with errors of fact, slovenly and inaccurate translations and even misspellings of Oriental names and words – "a muddle of platitudes, irrelevancies and plain mumbo-jumbo", adding for good measure that Shah had "a remarkable opinion of his own importance". Expressing amusement and amazement at the "sycophantic manner" of Shah's interlocutors in a BBC radio interview, Elwell-Sutton concluded that some Western intellectuals were "so desperate to find answers to the questions that baffle them, that, confronted with wisdom from 'the mysterious East,' they abandon their critical faculties and submit to brainwashing of the crudest kind". To Elwell-Sutton, Shah's Sufism belonged to the realm of "Pseudo-Sufism", "centred not on God but on man."
Doris Lessing, one of Shah's greatest defenders,stated in a 1981 interview: "I found Sufism as taught by Idries Shah, which claim
Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings centred on magic and witchcraft. In 1960 he established a publishing house, Octagon Press, producing translations of Sufi classics as well as titles of his own. His most seminal work was The Sufis, which appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity devoted to the study of human behaviour and culture. A similar organisation, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), exists in the United States, under the directorship of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.
In his writings, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam. Emphasising that Sufism was not static but always adapted itself to the current time, place and people, he framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. Shah made extensive use of traditional teaching stories and parables, texts that contained multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection in the reader. He is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories.
Shah was at times criticised by orientalists who questioned his credentials and background. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his older brother Omar Ali-Shah, came in for particular scrutiny. However, he also had many notable defenders, chief among them the novelist Doris Lessing. Shah came to be recognised as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at a number of Western universities. His works have played a significant part in presenting Sufism as a secular, individualistic form of spiritual wisdom.
Idries Shah's books on Sufism achieved considerable critical acclaim. He was the subject of a BBC documentary ("One Pair of Eyes") in 1969, and two of his works (The Way of the Sufi and Reflections) were chosen as "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the BBC's "The Critics" programme. Among other honours, Shah won six first prizes at the UNESCO World Book Year in 1973, and the Islamic scholar James Kritzeck, commenting on Shah's Tales of the Dervishes, said that it was "beautifully translated".
The reception of Shah's movement was also marked by much controversy. Some orientalists were hostile, in part because Shah presented classical Sufi writings as tools for self-development to be used by contemporary people, rather than as objects of historical study. L. P. Elwell-Sutton from Edinburgh University, Shah's fiercest critic, described his books as "trivial", replete with errors of fact, slovenly and inaccurate translations and even misspellings of Oriental names and words – "a muddle of platitudes, irrelevancies and plain mumbo-jumbo", adding for good measure that Shah had "a remarkable opinion of his own importance". Expressing amusement and amazement at the "sycophantic manner" of Shah's interlocutors in a BBC radio interview, Elwell-Sutton concluded that some Western intellectuals were "so desperate to find answers to the questions that baffle them, that, confronted with wisdom from 'the mysterious East,' they abandon their critical faculties and submit to brainwashing of the crudest kind". To Elwell-Sutton, Shah's Sufism belonged to the realm of "Pseudo-Sufism", "centred not on God but on man."
Doris Lessing, one of Shah's greatest defenders,stated in a 1981 interview: "I found Sufism as taught by Idries Shah, which claim
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 14, 2016
This folktale about jumping to conclusions and fearing something before we really understand it is utterly delightful AND has fabulously endearing illustrations. My favorite new book to gift to parents.
May 15, 2009
"He's eating the terrible, dangerous animal! He must be a terrible, dangerous boy"
A simple story which reminded me of our (Joha), I really liked the pictures in there.
A simple story which reminded me of our (Joha), I really liked the pictures in there.
February 19, 2011
A folktale from the Middle East. The kids LOVED it! Great for teaching about tolerance and not fearing things simply b/c they're unfamiliar.
July 15, 2011
A clever boy teaches a village not to fear the unknown.
May 7, 2021
The Clever Boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal is an innocent story laced with humor. The Sufi folklore imparts the concept of learning and growing through bravery by overcoming fear of the unknown. What one village saw as a terrible, dangerous animal, was in reality nothing more than a large, delicious watermelon.
How does this boy help the people overcome their fear? What do they learn? An how do they grow from this learning experience? These are questions that the story answers in a beautifully innocent manner.
The English translation seems to have extra wordings, probably to captivate and engage the readers. Moreover, the language of Arabic has a miraculous beauty to it in that sometimes the foreign language may not capture the essence of certain phrases and words.
Point to note:
Books by Idries Shah are translated into many languages, English being one of them. Although the author followed the path of Sufism, and many of his other books include concepts such as witchcraft and magic, this particular book, The Clever Boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal does not contain any such concepts that goes against the authentic Islamic teachings.
That said, I would tread carefully while choosing and selecting bilingual stories by Idries Shah to read to our children. Alhamdulillah, there are a wide range of Arabic-English options these days, especially in the Middle East, to read to our children.
I was not aware of Sufi folklore stories for children prior to MCBD2021. Thank you MCBD organizers and Hoopoe Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
How does this boy help the people overcome their fear? What do they learn? An how do they grow from this learning experience? These are questions that the story answers in a beautifully innocent manner.
The English translation seems to have extra wordings, probably to captivate and engage the readers. Moreover, the language of Arabic has a miraculous beauty to it in that sometimes the foreign language may not capture the essence of certain phrases and words.
Point to note:
Books by Idries Shah are translated into many languages, English being one of them. Although the author followed the path of Sufism, and many of his other books include concepts such as witchcraft and magic, this particular book, The Clever Boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal does not contain any such concepts that goes against the authentic Islamic teachings.
That said, I would tread carefully while choosing and selecting bilingual stories by Idries Shah to read to our children. Alhamdulillah, there are a wide range of Arabic-English options these days, especially in the Middle East, to read to our children.
I was not aware of Sufi folklore stories for children prior to MCBD2021. Thank you MCBD organizers and Hoopoe Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2024
Lightness and gaiety and a wonderful description of how silly we are, one and all. What any child would love to read. Beautifully illustrated with blue blue skies stripes checks and diamonds. A clever boy wanted to explore further than his village and he asked his mother if he could explore into the next village. ‘Yes ‘ she said, ‘If you look both ways crossing the road.’ He did look both ways and got to the next village where a large number of people were gathered in a field. They were afraid of a terribly dangerous animal in the field. The terribly clever boy had a look, saw it was a water melon. Not a terribly dangerous animal he said, went up to the watermelon, cut himself a slice. The people in the field were at first terrified. Then pleased he had killed the monster. Then terrified again because he had eaten it, and raw too. Ergo it wasn’t just a terribly dangerous animal, it was a terribly dangerous boy as well. By the time the boy left, the people had stopped being afraid and become interested in what a melon might be. Eventually they were able to do constructive things, like grow melons eat melons, give melons away, sell melons and were happier and a great deal less silly than they had been.
February 23, 2022
The Clever Boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal by Idries Shah- Children’s Illustrated Story book- The book narrates a Sufi story. It is the story of a young boy who wishes to see the area beyond his village. He requested his mother to grant him permission to travel. She permitted him with the instruction that when he crosses a square on the road, he must look at both sides before crossing the road. This boy reached the next village and found that a large number of persons are gathered around a field. He found that these people are looking at a strange thing lying in the field. People thought that it was an animal. The boy saw it and discovered that it a watermelon. He walked up to the watermelon picked it, cut it into slices and ate pieces of the fruit. People thought that the young boy had killed the monster and felt relieved. People seen the young boy eat the fruit raw. This boy informed them that watermelon is a fruit which can be grown by sowing its seeds. People learnt to grow watermelons, distribute and sell them. Coloured illustrations help the reader in relating to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.
October 15, 2020
I read the book The Clever Boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal, by Idries Shah, digitally (International Children's Digital Library). This book was selected for the Library of Congress Holiday Program, 2005. I found this book to be charming and entertaining. It also has the theme of not judging something by its cover. The book starts as a fairy tale as a young boy walks to a nearby village he has never been to before. This story is based on an oral tradition found in Central Asia and the Middle East. The illustrations are excellent. I don't want to give you any more information because I would ruin the best part! One thing I didn't like was that the print was too small and it was difficult to enlarge it. This story would be great for P-3 grades!!!
February 3, 2021
Thank you to Multicultural Children's Book Day 2021 for the opportunity to review this book I was gifted by Hoopoe Books.
This folktale reminds me of how important it is to be inquisitive and curious before judging or jumping to conclusions.
The boy sets out on a journey to learn about the world beyond his own village. In the next village, the boy meets a group of towns people living in fear of an unknown thing. These people mistake the unknown thing as a terrible, dangerous animal. To the towns people, the boy is brave and courageous.
Read this book to learn the moral of this story that we should not live in fear because of unknown things, but to explore and learn to be able to make knowledgeable decisions.
This folktale reminds me of how important it is to be inquisitive and curious before judging or jumping to conclusions.
The boy sets out on a journey to learn about the world beyond his own village. In the next village, the boy meets a group of towns people living in fear of an unknown thing. These people mistake the unknown thing as a terrible, dangerous animal. To the towns people, the boy is brave and courageous.
Read this book to learn the moral of this story that we should not live in fear because of unknown things, but to explore and learn to be able to make knowledgeable decisions.
May 26, 2017
A vividly illustrated and highly entertaining tale told in bright colors and with gentle humor about a young boy who visits a neighboring village only to find the villagers cowering over a ‘dangerous animal’. The boy dispels their fears and manages to lead them to a clever solution too! A lighthearted tale about fearing that (and those) which we do not know.
See other books in our Folktales from Islamic Traditions booklist here: https://kitaabworld.com/blogs/news/fo...
See other books in our Folktales from Islamic Traditions booklist here: https://kitaabworld.com/blogs/news/fo...
May 26, 2017
A vividly illustrated and highly entertaining tale told in bright colors and with gentle humor about a young boy who visits a neighboring village only to find the villagers cowering over a ‘dangerous animal’. The boy dispels their fears and manages to lead them to a clever solution too! A lighthearted tale about fearing that (and those) which we do not know.
See other books in our Folktales from Islamic Traditions booklist here: https://kitaabworld.com/blogs/news/fo...
See other books in our Folktales from Islamic Traditions booklist here: https://kitaabworld.com/blogs/news/fo...
October 24, 2021
I guess the lesson is avoid demonising the unknown.
It would have been good to learn transferable skills to use when confronted with an unknown situation eg ask questions, research and learn, test theories out. Sometimes there may not be a person who knows the answers to tell you as in this book. Also people might behave in a silly way because of fear and ignorance but are they silly?
The little boy in this book has a strange face. You have to figure out where his eyes are in it. The other people in the book have more regular looking faces so to say.
It would have been good to learn transferable skills to use when confronted with an unknown situation eg ask questions, research and learn, test theories out. Sometimes there may not be a person who knows the answers to tell you as in this book. Also people might behave in a silly way because of fear and ignorance but are they silly?
The little boy in this book has a strange face. You have to figure out where his eyes are in it. The other people in the book have more regular looking faces so to say.
April 29, 2018
I listened to the audio version of this book on the International Children's Digital Library site.
The reader telling the story read with fluency, and I could visualize what was going on in the story. I liked that the reader used different voices to take on different characters. The story was silly, it even made me giggle. It was about a little boy that helped villagers learn not to fear what they didn't know for sure. I think that children would enjoy this folktale.
The reader telling the story read with fluency, and I could visualize what was going on in the story. I liked that the reader used different voices to take on different characters. The story was silly, it even made me giggle. It was about a little boy that helped villagers learn not to fear what they didn't know for sure. I think that children would enjoy this folktale.
January 23, 2020
Don't be afraid of new things! Great lesson. Also, we noticed after, that the outside is the colors of a melon, up close. In the words, it looks like there are watermelon seeds. The inside cover of the book is the inside of the watermelon. So clever!
June 27, 2017
The lesson: Just because you have never seen something before doesn't mean it is terrible or dangerous.
July 18, 2019
I loved everything about this book. My son lovee the colorful pictures and it has a charming and topical message.
Read
May 15, 2020Not subtle, but I think the vibrant art and surface silliness will appeal enough to make it not feel too much like a 'message' book.
May 15, 2020
A folktale about jumping to conclusions and what not. This was an enjoyable read, though!
July 26, 2017
CATEGORIES/GENRES FOR THIS CLASS FULFILLED BY THIS BOOK:
Ebook Traditional/ICDL
ESTIMATE OF GRADE LEVEL INTEREST:
K-3
ESTIMATE OF READING LEVEL:
2.7
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
A clever boy helps a town realize that what they think is a dangerous animal, is something really good.
IDENTIFY AT LEAST 2 CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS GENRE AND SUBGENRE AND DISCUSS HOW THEY APPEAR IN YOUR BOOK:
Ebooks expand the traditional reading experience, and this ebook does that by providing a Spanish translation for the text on the opposite page. The ebook also is slightly customizable, another characteristic of ebooks, because it allows the reader to enlarge the text boxes to make reading easier. It also expands the traditional reading experience by allowing the reader to see all the pages at once, on one web page, or individually. The ebook also expands the traditional reading experience by providing an audio version that begins with engaging music from the Middle East, which is where the traditional story has its origins.
IN WHAT WAYS AND HOW WELL DOES THE BOOK AS A WHOLE SERVE ITS INTENDED AUDIENCE?:
K-3 readers will enjoy the colorful and humorous illustrations that elongate the characters' faces into humorous, but pleasant features. Young readers will also enjoy the quick action that takes place as the boy, very swiftly, shows the town how something they thought was terrible, is actually something that can be harvested, and he shows them how. Large, easy to click on arrows will make it easy for little ones to go back and forth in the book, or enlarge certain pages.
AWARDS IF ANY:
None
LINKS TO PUBLISHED REVIEWS FROM PROFESSIONAL SOURCES:
School Library Journal, 12/01/00
Ebook Traditional/ICDL
ESTIMATE OF GRADE LEVEL INTEREST:
K-3
ESTIMATE OF READING LEVEL:
2.7
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
A clever boy helps a town realize that what they think is a dangerous animal, is something really good.
IDENTIFY AT LEAST 2 CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS GENRE AND SUBGENRE AND DISCUSS HOW THEY APPEAR IN YOUR BOOK:
Ebooks expand the traditional reading experience, and this ebook does that by providing a Spanish translation for the text on the opposite page. The ebook also is slightly customizable, another characteristic of ebooks, because it allows the reader to enlarge the text boxes to make reading easier. It also expands the traditional reading experience by allowing the reader to see all the pages at once, on one web page, or individually. The ebook also expands the traditional reading experience by providing an audio version that begins with engaging music from the Middle East, which is where the traditional story has its origins.
IN WHAT WAYS AND HOW WELL DOES THE BOOK AS A WHOLE SERVE ITS INTENDED AUDIENCE?:
K-3 readers will enjoy the colorful and humorous illustrations that elongate the characters' faces into humorous, but pleasant features. Young readers will also enjoy the quick action that takes place as the boy, very swiftly, shows the town how something they thought was terrible, is actually something that can be harvested, and he shows them how. Large, easy to click on arrows will make it easy for little ones to go back and forth in the book, or enlarge certain pages.
AWARDS IF ANY:
None
LINKS TO PUBLISHED REVIEWS FROM PROFESSIONAL SOURCES:
School Library Journal, 12/01/00
October 8, 2013
The Clever Boy and the Terrible, Dangerous Animal, written by Idries Shah and illustrated by Rose Mary Santiago. Hoopoe Books, ISHK. (Available on ICDL at http://www.childrenslibrary.org/icdl/... in English, Spanish, Dari, and Pashto. Audio available in English and Spanish).
Idries Shah shares this fun and insightful tale that has been passed for years in the oral tradition in Dari and Pashto.
This tale is the story of a young boy who visits another village and finds the people there terrified of a dangerous animal the likes of which they had never seen before. Through bravery, and a willingness to share knowledge and understanding, the boy helps the village people overcome their fears and discover something new and wonderful.
Idries Shah shares this fun and insightful tale that has been passed for years in the oral tradition in Dari and Pashto.
This tale is the story of a young boy who visits another village and finds the people there terrified of a dangerous animal the likes of which they had never seen before. Through bravery, and a willingness to share knowledge and understanding, the boy helps the village people overcome their fears and discover something new and wonderful.
August 11, 2016
This book was so entertaining and interesting. Through engaging illustrations and simple, beautiful language, Shah captures the traditional Sufi tale. Through Idries Shah's books he shares with the readers in our classrooms the traditional and familiar tales of the Middle East and Central Asia in a way that is accessible and engaging for them. I love the idea of learning another cultures folk tales to add to the richness of our classroom's language and understanding. This book would make an amazing addition to any class library as bringing in authentic multicultural literature so that we might begin to see the world from a new point of view.
March 23, 2013
Hilarious! The cover is deceiving to build up a little suspense which makes the climax of the story so much funnier. This is a folk tale which is a perfect example of a few things explored in Writers' Workshop:
- The use of quotation marks for dialogue
- Effective use of onomatopeias in a narrative
- How teaching a moral does not have to be a complicated affair.
You enjoy the story and on the very last page, bam!, the author makes you do a retake of everything you thought was being said.
Love! Love! Love!
- The use of quotation marks for dialogue
- Effective use of onomatopeias in a narrative
- How teaching a moral does not have to be a complicated affair.
You enjoy the story and on the very last page, bam!, the author makes you do a retake of everything you thought was being said.
Love! Love! Love!
February 20, 2016
A very cute Folktale from the Middle East about a young boy who ventures to a new village and finds a crowd of people that are terrified of "a terrible, dangerous animal." It turns out that this terrible, dangerous animal is not so terrible and dangerous after all. This young boy then helps them overcome their fears as he enlightens him with what exactly they are seeing. A great way to illustrate the importance of not needing to fear the unknown, because the unknown may not be so terrible after all.
February 22, 2012
I can't go wrong. I have free-online access to an audio version and the bilingual text via International Children's Digital Library Foundation. More intensive reading. I listen to the audio version twice and now I am going to read and review the Spanish version thoroughly.
A clever (listo) boy travels to a neighboring village and laughs at the silly people that live in fear of Ohhhh, Ayyyy Ohhhhhh . . . la sandia, the terrible & dangerous animal that will bite you!
A clever (listo) boy travels to a neighboring village and laughs at the silly people that live in fear of Ohhhh, Ayyyy Ohhhhhh . . . la sandia, the terrible & dangerous animal that will bite you!
October 20, 2016
"And just think. It all happened because a clever boy was not afraid when a lot of silly people thought something was dangerous just because they had never seen it before."
Shah does it again with a delightful tale of Sufi literature offered for children. It is great to get these tales from the oral tradition onto paper!
Shah does it again with a delightful tale of Sufi literature offered for children. It is great to get these tales from the oral tradition onto paper!
June 15, 2012
Discussion of the 'fear of the unknown'...take some time to experience things...you'll be better off! Especially if you like water melon
Want to Read
November 11, 2012:)
January 25, 2022
A Sufi teaching tale.
July 7, 2017
CATEGORIES/GENRES FOR THIS CLASS FULFILLED BY THIS BOOK:
Traditional picture book
ESTIMATE OF GRADE LEVEL INTEREST:
K-3
ESTIMATE OF READING LEVEL:
2.7
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
A clever boy helps a town realize that what they think is a dangerous animal is actually something good.
IDENTIFY AT LEAST 2 CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS GENRE AND SUBGENRE AND DISCUSS HOW THEY APPEAR IN YOUR BOOK:
Traditional literature has characters in folktales that are shown as entirely good or evil. In this case, the town sees something as completely evil. It is not until the clever boy, who is good, shows them its uses that the townspeople change their minds so that they now see the object as completely good. Another typical characteristic of the book is that it is simple and direct. The boy comes to the town, sees what the people are afraid of, and quickly shows them how it is nothing to be afraid of. No character development is explored and there are no developments of lasting friendships or specific interactions with one townsperson.
IN WHAT WAYS AND HOW WELL DOES THE BOOK AS A WHOLE SERVE ITS INTENDED AUDIENCE?:
K-3 readers will enjoy the humorous and brightly colored illustrations where the characters faces are all elongated resulting in humorous, yet inviting expressions. Young readers will also like the quick pace of the story where the boy wastes no time in showing the townspeople the benefits of something they once thought was evil.
AWARDS IF ANY:
None
LINKS TO PUBLISHED REVIEWS FROM PROFESSIONAL SOURCES:
School Library Journal, 12/01/00
Traditional picture book
ESTIMATE OF GRADE LEVEL INTEREST:
K-3
ESTIMATE OF READING LEVEL:
2.7
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
A clever boy helps a town realize that what they think is a dangerous animal is actually something good.
IDENTIFY AT LEAST 2 CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS GENRE AND SUBGENRE AND DISCUSS HOW THEY APPEAR IN YOUR BOOK:
Traditional literature has characters in folktales that are shown as entirely good or evil. In this case, the town sees something as completely evil. It is not until the clever boy, who is good, shows them its uses that the townspeople change their minds so that they now see the object as completely good. Another typical characteristic of the book is that it is simple and direct. The boy comes to the town, sees what the people are afraid of, and quickly shows them how it is nothing to be afraid of. No character development is explored and there are no developments of lasting friendships or specific interactions with one townsperson.
IN WHAT WAYS AND HOW WELL DOES THE BOOK AS A WHOLE SERVE ITS INTENDED AUDIENCE?:
K-3 readers will enjoy the humorous and brightly colored illustrations where the characters faces are all elongated resulting in humorous, yet inviting expressions. Young readers will also like the quick pace of the story where the boy wastes no time in showing the townspeople the benefits of something they once thought was evil.
AWARDS IF ANY:
None
LINKS TO PUBLISHED REVIEWS FROM PROFESSIONAL SOURCES:
School Library Journal, 12/01/00
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews