Pinocchio

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Summary: pinocchio
Review: it was about a guy that wanted a little boy so he wished and it came true. THe little wooden boy had to be true and go to school and not skip or do bad stuff to become a real boy. The lesson is don't do bad stuff to get into troble. the age level is 2nd grade. The book was good.

Rating:
Summary: A puppet's puppet
Review: When you think of "Pinocchio," you automatically think of the classic Disney film. But before that came the charmingly-written classic by Carlo Collodi, now reissued by the Starscape book line alongside more contemporary fantasy.

An elderly woodcutter named Geppetto has an unusual piece of wood -- one that, when carved into a puppet, can move and speak. He names this strange puppet "Pinocchio," and has barely finished when he's arrested. Pinocchio may be able to speak and move and think for himself, but he's also a bit of a pain, as Geppetto finds when he returns home. Like any boy (wooden or not), Pinocchio has good points and bad points -- and he has some hard lessons to learn before he can gain what he wants most.

It's a charming tale, though not really of the same type as the much-beloved movie. The book is both more entertaining and a lot darker. The characters aren't perfect; they have a lot to learn and accomplish, and one entertaining scene has Geppetto and a carpenter duking it out. Pinocchio will alternately annoy and endear himself to the readers, like a real kid would. One minute you're sorry for him because he burned off his feet, and the next you want to smack him because of his picky eating habits.

The writing style is really charming, alternately humorous and serious; there isn't a lot of detail, although the illustrations may make up for that. Dry wit pervades almost every part of the book, especially the opening page. The plot definiteIy definitely is darker than the cartoon, with more scenes connected with death and violence, such as a pair of assassins hanging Pinocchio. But probably kids will be able to handle it; this is and has always been a children's book.

Gris Grimly's drawings seem, overall, to suit the story of Pinocchio -- they can be grim and a little weird, and can also be much softer and sweeter. Depends on who's in it. Some are a little jagged and surreal, while some are outright pretty. Weird? Yes. Twisted? Definitely. Fitting? Absolutely.

"Pinocchio" is an unusually good children's classic with a well-written storyline and an alternately loveable/irritating hero. Definitely worth checking out.