Grasshopper on the Road

I always enjoyed this book as a child. I recently pulled it out of some of my things and read it. Reading it as an adult I realize its true meaning and value. It offers real lessons on life, the people you meet along the way and how to gracefully just keep on walking down the road...

It is a funny and easy to read series of stories. All books by Arnold Lobel are written in a very good language and have unconventional plots, so a parent does not get bored and a child enjoys them. Before I discovered Arnold Lobel, I became exasperated with children's books that all seem to follow one of cliche plots. These stories are different from the mainstream children literature, best described as friendly fables for little kids.

...I bought this book for my 7-year-old twins, who arehome-schooled. The book's reading level is appropriate for end offirst grade or beginning of second grade. They LOVED this book!Their favorite story was the Worm story, which STILL sends them intoconvulsions of laughter whenever they hear it. The book has also beenthe basis of discussion about intolerance, moving on the the face ofloss, appeasing others to make them feel good, and other topics. Allin all, the book was absolutely worth the price!

I found Grasshopper on the Road to be a witty, slightly subversive story with ample political satire for adults as well as eing a delightful kiddy read. (My daughter is 4.) There's a bit of Animal Farm and Gulliver's Travels built in to the story - coming upon the rally of beetles who cheer Grasshopper on until they realize he doesn't accept their political beliefs - and then proceed to bash him... the Lilliputian mosquito who insists that "rules are rules" and demands to take Grasshopper across a little puddle in his tiny rowboat, while Grasshopper merely lifts up the whole boat and carries mosquito across in two steps... the butterflies who demand that mosquito vacate a particular mushroom on which he is sitting because that's where they take a dailiy rest on that particular one... the housefly with obsessive-compulsive disorder who can't stop cleaning and dusting, and so on. I've enjoyed Lobel's intelligent and ironic stories (including the misadventures of the happily gay couple, Frog & Toad), which kids love and which don't talk down to grown-ups! I'm just sorry that I discovered him as a grown-up myself.

We originally bought this book on the way back from a road trip. My wife was reading as I was driving. My son (5) was watching my wife read it and laughing at her laughing. When we got home, he gave it to all the adults and watched for them to laugh as they read it to him. It is a cute, silly book, with a couple of good lessons. You will know someone who matches every character in this book. Its the best one I've come across so far. Right up there with Dr. Seuss.