The Amazing Bone

Rating:
Summary: Spring Fantasy
Review: Before talking generally about the book, let me share my reaction that children who are sensitive and easily develop fears may find this book to be too much for them. Read this book first before reading it to your child. The sections in question have robbers threatening to kill Pearl the Pig and a fox planning to do the same thing prior to eating Pearl. I found both situations a little rougher on the emotions than the standard Little Red Riding Hood fare in this regard.

This story was a Caldecott Honor book in 1977 as one of the best illustrated children's stories of that year. The book has many outstanding features. First, the watercolors and ink outlines nicely convey bright, spring colors and create a light mood. Second, the story has a very funny plot device in having a major character be a talking bone. Third, the plot reversals are quite sudden, dramatic, and emotionally laden. This book will make quite an impression on its readers. Fourth, the book raises very nice questions about all kinds of human relations that will keep you and your child talking for years.

Pearl the Pig dawdled in town after school. Her purpose was to watch the grownups doing their work, in order to think about what she might do when she grew up. She watched street cleaners, bakers, and "old guffers" pitching horseshoes.

Then she headed home through the forest. Once there, "she could almost feel herself changing into a flower" as she looked at the beautiful scene around her.

"I hear something."

"So do I," a voice answered. "I'm the bone in the violets near the tree by the rock on your right."

"You talk?"

"In any language . . . ." "And I can imitate any sound there is."

"How?"

"I don't know. I didn't make the world."

The bone reports that it fell out of a witch's basket in August. The bone didn't want to return. "I'd be happier with someone young and lively like you."

From out of nowhere, three armed highway robbers wearing masks rushed them, and threatened to shoot Pearl. The bone hissed like a snake and roared like a lion in her purse, and the robbers bolted.

Next a fox grabbed her. "You will be my main course tonight." The bone claimed to be a ravenous crocodile, but the fox was not fooled. The fox found the bone and put it in his pocket.

Just when the fox is about to do away with Pearl, the bone starts in incantation. The fox starts shrinking! Pearl is saved.

"I didn't know you could do magic!"

"Neither did I." The words "just came to me."

They went home and told Pearl's distraught parents about their adventures. The bone stayed and became part of the family. The bone rested in an honored place on a silver tray on the mantlepiece, except at night. Then, the Pearl took the bone to bed, and they talked and talked. They also sang.

The bone always kept the house full of music and sounds, even when the family didn't want them.

As you can see, without the extreme threats of violence, this is a very funny and original story. So if your child likes things a little on the scary side, this will be a five star book. If you child is timid on those issues, avoid this book until that changes. I averaged that perception out to four stars, assuming that most children around 6 could handle the threatened violence and the abductions well as fantasy.

The benefit, of course, of a story like this one is to open up the subject of what your child should be doing when alone, when in the presence of strangers alone, and how to handle the kind of events that parents don't like to even think about happening. A good way to begin this discussion is to ask your child what Pearl should have done differently. What could the bone have done differently? If the bone were another child, what should the other child have done? And so forth. You get the idea.

Would you like to have a talking bone as a friend? Personally, I'd like to find out more about what kind of music the bone likes to make first.

What would you like to do when you grow up?

Travel to the limits of imagination to find the potential for good in the world around us!

Rating:
Summary: Spring Fantasy
Review: Before talking generally about the book, let me share my reaction that children who are sensitive and easily develop fears may find this book to be too much for them. Read this book first before reading it to your child. The sections in question have robbers threatening to kill Pearl the Pig and a fox planning to do the same thing prior to eating Pearl. I found both situations a little rougher on the emotions than the standard Little Red Riding Hood fare in this regard.

This story was a Caldecott Honor book in 1977 as one of the best illustrated children's stories of that year. The book has many outstanding features. First, the watercolors and ink outlines nicely convey bright, spring colors and create a light mood. Second, the story has a very funny plot device in having a major character be a talking bone. Third, the plot reversals are quite sudden, dramatic, and emotionally laden. This book will make quite an impression on its readers. Fourth, the book raises very nice questions about all kinds of human relations that will keep you and your child talking for years.

Pearl the Pig dawdled in town after school. Her purpose was to watch the grownups doing their work, in order to think about what she might do when she grew up. She watched street cleaners, bakers, and "old guffers" pitching horseshoes.

Then she headed home through the forest. Once there, "she could almost feel herself changing into a flower" as she looked at the beautiful scene around her.

"I hear something."

"So do I," a voice answered. "I'm the bone in the violets near the tree by the rock on your right."

"You talk?"

"In any language . . . ." "And I can imitate any sound there is."

"How?"

"I don't know. I didn't make the world."

The bone reports that it fell out of a witch's basket in August. The bone didn't want to return. "I'd be happier with someone young and lively like you."

From out of nowhere, three armed highway robbers wearing masks rushed them, and threatened to shoot Pearl. The bone hissed like a snake and roared like a lion in her purse, and the robbers bolted.

Next a fox grabbed her. "You will be my main course tonight." The bone claimed to be a ravenous crocodile, but the fox was not fooled. The fox found the bone and put it in his pocket.

Just when the fox is about to do away with Pearl, the bone starts in incantation. The fox starts shrinking! Pearl is saved.

"I didn't know you could do magic!"

"Neither did I." The words "just came to me."

They went home and told Pearl's distraught parents about their adventures. The bone stayed and became part of the family. The bone rested in an honored place on a silver tray on the mantlepiece, except at night. Then, the Pearl took the bone to bed, and they talked and talked. They also sang.

The bone always kept the house full of music and sounds, even when the family didn't want them.

As you can see, without the extreme threats of violence, this is a very funny and original story. So if your child likes things a little on the scary side, this will be a five star book. If you child is timid on those issues, avoid this book until that changes. I averaged that perception out to four stars, assuming that most children around 6 could handle the threatened violence and the abductions well as fantasy.

The benefit, of course, of a story like this one is to open up the subject of what your child should be doing when alone, when in the presence of strangers alone, and how to handle the kind of events that parents don't like to even think about happening. A good way to begin this discussion is to ask your child what Pearl should have done differently. What could the bone have done differently? If the bone were another child, what should the other child have done? And so forth. You get the idea.

Would you like to have a talking bone as a friend? Personally, I'd like to find out more about what kind of music the bone likes to make first.

What would you like to do when you grow up?

Travel to the limits of imagination to find the potential for good in the world around us!

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully illustrated but not for young children.
Review: I bought this book based on the fact it was a Caldecott Honorable Mention and based on the reviews. I have to say my son loved the book until we got to the part where robbers in Halloween masks jump out of the bushes and put a gun to Pearl's head. Hello? You reviewers out there. My son (3, almost 4) was shocked. He asked a zillion questions about the robbers. Weren't they bad? Did they hurt Pearl? Why (how come) they were robbing her? The next day the questions continued. I bought 10 Caldecott books and we were reading the books right out of the box and I failed to preview the story. Big mistake. This book is charming and wonderful except for the robbery scene which is graphic and extremely disturbing. That scene also seems out of place. In my opinion, it does not belong in a children's book. Parents of young children--beware of this book. Adults, enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully illustrated but not for young children.
Review: I bought this book based on the fact it was a Caldecott Honorable Mention and based on the reviews. I have to say my son loved the book until we got to the part where robbers in Halloween masks jump out of the bushes and put a gun to Pearl's head. Hello? You reviewers out there. My son (3, almost 4) was shocked. He asked a zillion questions about the robbers. Weren't they bad? Did they hurt Pearl? Why (how come) they were robbing her? The next day the questions continued. I bought 10 Caldecott books and we were reading the books right out of the box and I failed to preview the story. Big mistake. This book is charming and wonderful except for the robbery scene which is graphic and extremely disturbing. That scene also seems out of place. In my opinion, it does not belong in a children's book. Parents of young children--beware of this book. Adults, enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Frightening - and not in a fun way.
Review: I checked this book out for my five year-old thinking it was a good read because it is a Caldecott Honor award winner. It started out as a beautiful and innocent child's book but turned into a frightening story. Nothing like Grimm, this book has no redeeming moral in the end. The gun and knife gang is too real and scary as it is. The slick fox brings up too many images of kidnappers/murderers that you read about in the papers these days. I found myself feeling very uncomfortable while reading this story, imagine what is going on in the mind of an impressionable youngster! Who cares what happens in the end!!! This is not the kind of story you want to send your kid to bed with. I asked my daughter what she thought about this book and she said it was too violent. I have no idea what the ALA was thinking when they honored this book!
The moral of this story is don't trust a medal! And, preview your children's books for appropriateness.

Rating:
Summary: TOO SCARY FOR GRIMM
Review: I checked this book out for my five year-old thinking it was a good read because it is a Caldecott Honor award winner. It started out as a beautiful and innocent child's book but turned into a frightening story. Nothing like Grimm, this book has no redeeming moral in the end. The gun and knife gang is too real and scary as it is. The slick fox brings up too many images of kidnappers/murderers that you read about in the papers these days. I found myself feeling very uncomfortable while reading this story, imagine what is going on in the mind of an impressionable youngster! Who cares what happens in the end!!! This is not the kind of story you want to send your kid to bed with. I asked my daughter what she thought about this book and she said it was too violent. I have no idea what the ALA was thinking when they honored this book!
The moral of this story is don't trust a medal! And, preview your children's books for appropriateness.

Rating:
Summary: Charming and delightful
Review: Is there a more charming book than this? A very dear friend was in the hospital and, in addition to feeling ill, was in a very crabby mood, yelling at doctors and technicians whenever they approached. I brought this book to read to him because I thought it might cheer him up. After I finished, he thanked me and also called me later at home to thank me anew for bringing such a charming book into his life because it honestly did make him feel better. Pearl and her loyal new best friend, the bone, are wonderful and any adult or child will find it to be a refreshingly lovely treat.

Rating:
Summary: My four year old loved it.
Review: My four year old son loved this book. We checked it out from the library, and now we have to buy our own copy. Pearl, the heroine is lovable and the amazing (talking) bone is smart and quick- witted. My son loved this book because of the power the bone gave pearl. The power to overcome the evil villians and go home fearless.

Rating:
Summary: Exceptional children's book and this adult loves it dearly..
Review: Steig is my favorite children's book author and The Amazing Bone my favorite of his books. I love the characters and the sense of evil conquered by the lovely piggirl. His depiction of spring is wonderful, like a breath of fresh air. Steig transports the reader with his sweet magic, but always maintains a balance with his evil characters lurking just around the corner. Read all of his stuff, you'll truly be a better person for it.

Rating:
Summary: Frightening - and not in a fun way.
Review: This book shocked me, and I am NOT an over-reactive type of parent. My daughter picked this up in a waiting room and we were reading happily together. I couldn't believe it when our heroine suddenly had a gun to her head!! And abducted and taken to an abandoned house where she is left in a room alone to ponder an imminent death? Yeah, of course she escapes. But then she merely goes home where the entire incident is glossed over. It was the strangest children's book I have ever seen and certainly the most unpleasant.