Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals for Beastly Fables

Those of us who remember Jon Sciezka and Lane Smith as the author and illustrator of "The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!" will know exactly what they are getting into when they pick up "Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals, Beastly Fables." The thesis here is that even before Aesop a legion of storytellers have told stories about annoying, weird, pain-in-the-neck people, turned them into animals, added a moral, and thereby changed rude gossip and bad jokes into fables. The idea here is present a collection of fables that Aesop might be telling if he was alive today. The moral, according to Sciezka and Smith, is that "If you can't say something nice about someone, change the guy's name to Donkey or Squid."What young readers will find in these inventive fables are not lessons about necessity being the mother of invention or look before you leap, but more practical concerns for the modern world such as do not believe everything you see on TV, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and just because you have a lot of stuff do not think you are so special. Some of the fables you need to think about to get to the real point, such as the moral "Don't play with matches," which is really about something even worse than matches (i.e., people you are warned to stay away from). Throughout the book you will find a constant onslaught of wicked humor (the grasshopper's history assignment is priceless) and even if it over the heads of many young readers, they will understand the jokes down the road when they return to this book. After all, the morals of fables are supposed to be timeless, even if they were just made up for this 1998 book.Most of the stories are told about animals, from frogs and squids to elephants and slugs, but there are also stories involving things like a tongue and a BeefSnakStik (complete with registered trademark). Smith's illustrations are creative and his wife, Molly Leach, provides the exotic design for the book, which will provide appropriate visual stimuli to go with all the morals. The end result is that "Squids Will Be Squids" tells contemporary fables in a contemporary way, and if you have a complaint about the use "squids" as the plural for "squid," then remember to read the fine print of this tongue-in-cheek volume (okay, in the fable about the hand, foot and tongue the tongue is obvious out of the cheek, but that is a different point entirely). Young readers will no doubt be inspired to come up with their own fables, and this book even includes solid advice on how to do that as well.

I got this book for my son who is 9...over the 4-8 age reccommendation for this book. I knew it would be funny and he would enjoy it...and boy did he! The book has "boy appeal"... and general "ha-ha-ho-ho's" abound. We read it the first time for laughs...we will read it again and I will encourage him to see if there is anything "deeper" in the stories.... He really enjoyed the pictures alot. He is at the age when at school he is only allowed to read "chapter" books so this was a wonderful break and fun return back to picture books. Although some of the stories did have meaning to them...Some were just fun and all the pictures were wonderful. I enjoy allowing my son to read some things for the pure pleasure and pure fun of reading...this is a perfect choice for that.

To get an idea of Scieszka's humor, let me tell you about howhe once introduced himself to a group of kids. "Hieveryone," he said... "Now I know some of you have been having a little trouble with my name. It's not that hard, really. Let's all say it together... Ready? ... JOHN!" Well, the kids squealed in delight, recognizing that here was a guy in tune with their own inner "smart-alecs." This particular book, "Squids Will Be Squids," is perhaps the most lucid product of Scieszka's irreverent imagination. It is is basically a re-telling of familiar and not-so-familiar fables, but with unexpected, and very funny twists at the end. The humor is such that both kids and adults will snicker, and it is enhanced by Lane Smith's appropriately bizzare character illustrations. This is a book for any kid who is catching on (or becoming a pro) in the art of gentle sarcasm. There is a fable about why kids in the cafeteria don't want to eat lunch with Shark, Wasp, and Bacteria, and the punchline is classic. Another is a tale that warps around, and totally reinterprets, the otherwise sage advice, "Don't Play with Matches." I've read some of these fables out loud (in funny voices) to college students, who couldn't seem to get enough of them. (Made me wonder if they were deprived of being read to while youngsters). One later told me that she purchased a copy of "Squids will Be Squids" for her former high-school science teacher, and he has been thanking her ever since. Like Gary Larson's "Far Side" cartoons? Then you're just gonna' love this!

I came across this book while browsing at random. The artwork alone is enough to recommend it, but the stories are absolutely hillarious. My favorite is the one about the grasshopper who waited until the last minute to start his homework. Some people may think this book is a bit too "mature" for young kids. I don't agree. Even kids who don't understand all the nuances will like it (if only for the pictures). And the grown-ups reading it to their kids won't get bored. If you have kids, or need to buy a present for a youngster you know make it this book.

We have had this book for over a year and purchased it afterbeing lucky enough to hear a reading of it by the author before it wasreleased. I have six children ranging in age from 4 to 16 and each one of us loves this book for different reasons. I love it becuase it is one of a very few childrens' books which is really funny in a smart way. My four year old loves it for the stories and the great and intriguing illustrations, and my nine year old boy loves it for the nine year old boy appeal it obviously has. Everyone else loves it for their own reasons but it is read over and over again and our four year old can ALWAYS capture a family member to read it to her which is not always the case with other books.