And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon

My son and I checked this book out from the library when he was about 2 1/2, and he loved it! I did, too. In addition to being fun and clever, with delightful illustrations, the book was a great launching point for further discussions in three areas. First, the word play offers lots of chances for parents to begin explaining jokes, cliches and puns. (And I appreciated that the humor was engaging on both child and adult levels!) Second, the involvement of other Mother Goose characters is a natural lead-in to further reading. In fact, after reading "And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon," we returned to the library for a good Mother Goose collection and went through it looking for now-familiar characters. And third, it is a great way to introduce map-reading skills. My son pretended to draw and read maps after reading this book, and he now understands that miles and directions (north, south, east and west) are ways of expressing where things are.

My 4 1/2 year old daughter absolutely loves this book. We originally borrowed it from the library, but she was heartbroken when it had to be returned. Although we've read it at least a dozen times, the story, familiar nursery rhymes and whimsical, beautiful pictures continue to grasp her interest. Parents will also enjoy this book, since it is written in a manner for both adults and children. I especially like the point where the characters traveling down the path come to a fork in the road, and it is actually a "fork" in the road, which will help them look for "spoon". I am always delighted when my daughter, Kelly, chooses this book for her bedtime selection.

I recently bought this book for my child and I can't decide who wants to read it more. He is three and says, "It's cool!" and I personally can't get enough of it. The jokes neatly planted in there and the wonderful illustrations makes this book a winner. It is one to buy for your kids and to save for the grandkids even. If you only have a bit of money to spend on a book, choose this one!

Everybody knows the old familiar nursery rhyme...Hey diddle diddle/The cat and the fiddle/The cow jumped over the moon/The little dog laughed/To see such sport/And the dish ran away with the spoon...Only this time they didn't come back. The cat, dog and cow are beside themselves. What are we going to do without the dish and spoon? Could this be the end of the rhyme? So taking matters into their own hands they set off on an adventure to find their errant tableware. First they literally meet a fork in the road, who saw the dish and the spoon go by. He "takes a stab" at drawing a map to help the trio find their rhyme-mates, which sends them on a hilarious journey, following clues, meeting some helpful, some not so helpful and some downright dangerous characters, while trying to put their rhyme back together again..... Janet Stevens has written a very clever and witty story that will have both youngsters and adults smiling, giggling and finally laughing out loud. Her text, told in hip kid-speak language is full of wordplay, jokes and puns and complemented by Susan Stevens Crummel's large, expressive, colorful illustrations. Kids will really enjoy all the wonderful detail in each picture. Together, they've authored a delightful and humorous book the entire family will enjoy. Perfect for youngsters 5 and older, And the Dish Ran Away With the Spoon is a winner!

I read this book a few months ago, even though it hasnt come out yet. My teacher is Mrs. Crummel (the author of the book). I highly reccomend the book, as well as being well written, it has a whole lot of jokes, and cute things that all tie in with the story. I think that its really a great book to read to kids of any age. Im 15, and I loved it. Mrs. Crummel is a wonderful person, who can write wonderful stories.