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Rating: Summary: I loved this book as a child! Review: It's been years since I've read this book, but as I recall, it was one of the most popular childrens books in my entire elementary school (in the early 80's). It was almost impossible to find it on the shelf due to its popularity. The illustrations were wonderful and the book was fun. I recommend it highly.
Rating: Summary: The camel and the eye of the needle Review: Nope. I missed this one as a kid. It's funny, because though I clearly remember seeing images from this book on the walls of libraries, cut out in bookstores, and displayed proudly in textbooks, I never read it myself. And you know what? It's an absolutely wonderful book that I am repeatedly regretting and regretting not having read. This story is right up my alley, and it's an amazing tale. In effect, it is a book about the power of redemption and the simplicity of doing what is right, no matter how late in the game. Said author/illustrator Tomi Ungerer himself, "Whatever the color of money, it is never too late to make good use of it". For me, this book is the story of how to make the most of your goods while you've got `em. The tale concerns itself with the doings of three fierce black-clad robbers. Outfitted with a blunderbuss, a pepper-blower, and a huge red axe, the three had a pretty good gig going. One robber would stop carriage horses with his pepper spray, another would stop the carriage completely by destroying the wheels with an axe, and the third would rob the passengers by holding them up with his blunderbuss. Honestly? I just like writing the word blunderbuss. That's a great word. Anyway, one day the men stop a carriage containing a small orphan on her way to live with a "wicked aunt". They rescue her and take her home to live with them. When the child asks them what they intend to do with all of their money, the men are stumped. Their solution is round up all the, "lost, unhappy, and abandoned children" they can find, buy a castle, and move in with all the children. In the end the kids grow up and build three tall high-roofed towers in honor of their foster fathers, the three robbers. The end. I don't really know why I love this tale as much as I do. Partly I think it has to do with the illustrations. The robbers are black on blue, their white eyes floating in front of invisible blue faces. Their weapons, colorfully displayed against a sharp black background, are a beautiful mixture of oranges, blues, and swirling reds. Cheery and intense. After they move in with the children, however, the black and blue palette changes completely and suddenly it's all bright reds (as the children are wearing) and deep spring greens. Accompanying this adept change of pace is Ungerer's text. The book never really explains the robbers' change of heart. One suspects they robbed without entirely knowing why they did so. And isn't that the case of most rich robbers? It is apparent that their care for the children is true and tender. I was especially attached to the shot of the once malevolent robber cradling the sleepy orphan girl in his warm cape as he took her home to stay. The tale has a moral that changes with every reading. Suffice to say, for me this book was about the human heart. Sometimes it takes very little to change behaviors that once seemed so cold and logical. Any picture book that can present such an interpretation deserves a close reading. "The Three Robbers" fits that bill nicely.
Rating: Summary: The camel and the eye of the needle Review: Nope. I missed this one as a kid. It's funny, because though I clearly remember seeing images from this book on the walls of libraries, cut out in bookstores, and displayed proudly in textbooks, I never read it myself. And you know what? It's an absolutely wonderful book that I am repeatedly regretting and regretting not having read. This story is right up my alley, and it's an amazing tale. In effect, it is a book about the power of redemption and the simplicity of doing what is right, no matter how late in the game. Said author/illustrator Tomi Ungerer himself, "Whatever the color of money, it is never too late to make good use of it". For me, this book is the story of how to make the most of your goods while you've got 'em.
The tale concerns itself with the doings of three fierce black-clad robbers. Outfitted with a blunderbuss, a pepper-blower, and a huge red axe, the three had a pretty good gig going. One robber would stop carriage horses with his pepper spray, another would stop the carriage completely by destroying the wheels with an axe, and the third would rob the passengers by holding them up with his blunderbuss. Honestly? I just like writing the word blunderbuss. That's a great word. Anyway, one day the men stop a carriage containing a small orphan on her way to live with a "wicked aunt". They rescue her and take her home to live with them. When the child asks them what they intend to do with all of their money, the men are stumped. Their solution is round up all the, "lost, unhappy, and abandoned children" they can find, buy a castle, and move in with all the children. In the end the kids grow up and build three tall high-roofed towers in honor of their foster fathers, the three robbers. The end.
I don't really know why I love this tale as much as I do. Partly I think it has to do with the illustrations. The robbers are black on blue, their white eyes floating in front of invisible blue faces. Their weapons, colorfully displayed against a sharp black background, are a beautiful mixture of oranges, blues, and swirling reds. Cheery and intense. After they move in with the children, however, the black and blue palette changes completely and suddenly it's all bright reds (as the children are wearing) and deep spring greens. Accompanying this adept change of pace is Ungerer's text. The book never really explains the robbers' change of heart. One suspects they robbed without entirely knowing why they did so. And isn't that the case of most rich robbers? It is apparent that their care for the children is true and tender. I was especially attached to the shot of the once malevolent robber cradling the sleepy orphan girl in his warm cape as he took her home to stay. The tale has a moral that changes with every reading. Suffice to say, for me this book was about the human heart. Sometimes it takes very little to change behaviors that once seemed so cold and logical. Any picture book that can present such an interpretation deserves a close reading. "The Three Robbers" fits that bill nicely.
Rating: Summary: The Three Robbers Review: The Three Robbers is a cute book about three robbers who transform into semi-respectable people. These robbers (like all robbers) robbed people for a living. This particular set of robbers robbed carriages. One night the robbers make a mistake. Instead of stopping a carriage full of rich people with money or rich jewelry, they 'stopped a carriage that had but one passenger, an orphan named Tiffany.' Well Tiffany was delighted, and since the robbers didn't know what else to do they took her home to their hide-out where she promptly turned their world upside down by asking them what they planned to do with their wealth. Realizing that they were doing nothing with their horded wealth, and that this was really a waste, they decide to buy a castle and bring to it all the 'lost, unhappy, and abandoned children they could find.' These children grow up and marry, but as a testament to their benefactors build three towers. I realize that this summary doesn't make this book sound all that great, but I like it. Also this summary seems to completely conflict with the editorial review. The editorial review is not really one for this book. If you look closely it is really a review for 'Crictor; Moon Man'. It only gives a passing mention to 'The Three Robbers' at the very bottom. The illustrations are bold and more often than not the page is black and the writing white. The story is told in a style that endears the book to me. Loggie-log-log-log
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