A funny and irreverent take on classic fairy tales. ( )

A very funny 'fairy tale' book that throws it's own twist on old tales. Definitely not your ordinary children's book, but any kid would crack up laughing so hard reading it. ( )

This is not a good toddler book, I will say that right now. Too much writing, long sentences, and over-their-heads moments, and not enough pictures. It is perfect for older readers, though. The humor is often blunt and sure to get a laugh out of your child. They will easily recognize old classic fairy tales with a new funny, sarcastic twist.

Another point against reading it for younger children: the art. Lane Smith seems to have been inspired by Picasso or possibly Salvador Dali. The characters are draw asymmetrically and often very distorted. The color palate is dark and the pictures are somewhat grainy or "dirty". I can see they were going for a complete disconnect with the traditional sun-shining-happy-ending-blue-skies fairy tale illustration, and again for older kids, no problem. I recommend this book for older children who can grasp the parodies and not be bothered by the darker art style. ( )

Silly and fun!! You'll have to read to find out! ( )

This is possibly my all-time favorite picture book. I was first introduced to it when my third grade teacher read parts of it aloud as a treat for the class. I thought it was the greatest thing ever back then. I still do!

The appeal in the book is the reworking of well-known fairy tales and the comic interruptions by other characters. (Seriously, is the hen the funniest thing ever or what?) I think this book is probably one of the greatest influences on my sense of humor, and I can see how my enjoyment of The Stinky Cheese Man has turned into a love for Discworld and John Hodgman.

(My favorite joke ever when I was eight years old was the screaming by the hen on the back cover with regards to the ISBN code. It still makes me laugh, seventeen years later!)

Oh, also, because I almost forgot: this book is fantastic as an example of how with picture books, the experience starts with the cover and goes through every page to the back. I could easily see this being used in a university level literary theory course to show how paratextual information can be part of and change a reading.

PS: The illustrations are pretty snazzy, too. ( )