Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes

This book is a hilarious read aloud, especially if you can change your voice for each character. It would also make a great reader's theater. It is perfect for studying how animals are portrayed in folktales, and the characteristics usually given to them. The boastful fox thinks he is sly, clever and smart, and that his ideas are the only ones worth listening to. Each plan is more and more elaborate, but each one fails because he doesn't listen to his friends' ideas--why should he? He is the fox--he is sly, clever... The repetitive text and full color illustrations make this a must for the library or the classroom!

Funny satire inspired by one of my favorite fables. Beautifully illustrated. The only flaw is the implication that porcupines throw their quills, which they don't. Fox gets what he deserves....

Aesop's classic fable of the fox who turns up his nose in scorn, when the grapes he desires prove to be beyond his reach, is considerably expanded in this humorous retelling by Margie Palatini, whose other revisionist picture-book adventures include The Three Silly Billies and Three French Hens. Enlisting the aid of Bear, Beaver, Porcupine and Possum, Fox puts his master-plan into action, only to see it fail again and again. His assistants have some thoughts, but Fox isn't interested. After all, he's Fox - "Sly. Clever. Smart."

With an amusing narrative and droll illustrations - I particularly appreciated Bear's many comical expressions - Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes is sure to appeal to young readers, who will enjoy seeing Fox get show more exactly what he deserves. Palatini manages to turn fable into story, while preserving the moral of the original. Aesop-lovers will definitely want to take a look at this one, as will anyone who enjoys a good animal tale. show less

This is a fun take on the Aesop's fable, "The Fox and the Grapes," in which the fox dismisses all of his friends' advice on how to harvest grapes from the grape tree (grape TREE??), because, after all, he is the smartest. In the end, of course, they are shown to have the best ideas. The illustrations are excellent, if you overlook that the grapes grow high on a tree. Huh?

I liked the humor added to this classic fable. The fox is mistrusting of others and must be the one coming up with the plan. It keeps the classic fable but adds a great twist. The watercolor pictures were beautiful and made the story even more enjoyable.

First, the quibble. Some people have complained that grapes don't grow on trees. This is a bit moot, as the book itself says the grapes are on a vine hanging from the tree. However, a more valid complaint is one that appears at the end of the book - whatever Porcupine says, porcupines cannot really shoot their quills anywhere. This is a minor detail easily fixed by stopping at some point and explaining the facts to your child.

Now, I really love this book (except for the quill thing, which I took a star off for). It's the classic fable of sour grapes, but greatly expanded to show Fox's arrogance to the greatest degree.

Love the witty dialog. Love the illustrations. Love the characterization of the various (North American, just fyi) show more woodland creatures. You can NOT go wrong getting this book. show less

An old fable retold with adorable illustrations and expressive faces. It starts with a fox attempting to get some grapes from a tree and recruits several other animals to help him, ignoring their helpful advice and eventually failing. It ends with the upset fox storming away after the other forest creatures are successful. This would be a valuable tool in the classroom to teach patience and humility, as well as to enjoy the silly faces and interesting characters.