Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
Trying this as a bedtime read because it is set right near where I grew up. Cute story so far, based on a weasel community that has a tunnel straight into a chicken coop, so they have an endless supply of eggs. This means they don't have to work much, and spend a lot of time at spring dances, relaxing and swimming.
This is a book that my mom read to me and my younger sister at night and I just remember it being quite wonderful and transportive at the time. I have no clue how it holds up almost ten years later but at the time, it was a favorite.
My boyfriend grew up reading this book and every now and then he would talk about it and how wonderful it was, so of course I eventually had to pick it up and try it out.
There were a lot of more mature ideas in this so-called children's book. The story is simple. A weasel falls in love with a fish, but he realizes that that's a very odd thing to do, since they can never be together. He learns that the pond she lives in is threatened by an osprey and a lack of rain, causing the pond to quickly dry up and force the fish into a smaller living area so that the osprey can eat more of them.
He is driven to help her (and another friend he makes along the way) by moving the nest to a different pond. There is no grand evil scheme on the part of the osprey; he is simply a bird, feeding on his natural prey. There is no plot for revenge on the bird by knocking his nest to the ground to shatter it. The weasel is simply trying to make everyone happy without hurting anyone in the process.
I'm impressed. 8/10
There were a lot of more mature ideas in this so-called children's book. The story is simple. A weasel falls in love with a fish, but he realizes that that's a very odd thing to do, since they can never be together. He learns that the pond she lives in is threatened by an osprey and a lack of rain, causing the pond to quickly dry up and force the fish into a smaller living area so that the osprey can eat more of them.
He is driven to help her (and another friend he makes along the way) by moving the nest to a different pond. There is no grand evil scheme on the part of the osprey; he is simply a bird, feeding on his natural prey. There is no plot for revenge on the bird by knocking his nest to the ground to shatter it. The weasel is simply trying to make everyone happy without hurting anyone in the process.
I'm impressed. 8/10
Comforting old fashioned anthropomorphized animal tale, accented by beautiful illustrations. This comes from 1993, but it totally works today. It feel sophisticated and rich, and has a depth to it. How does a weasel fall head-over-heels in love with a fish?
Like a warm snuggly blanket, but not without its quirk.
Like a warm snuggly blanket, but not without its quirk.
Just the kind of story I dislike. Didn't care for the characters, couldn't relate to them. Found the story dull. Sticking to Redwall.
this was one of my favorite books as a kid, but i never really ~got~ it because the love stories in it are SO messy. they do not follow conventional patterns, but do result in some really beautiful cross-species acts of solidarity. also, the art is gorgeous. four stars because there’s no queer characters.
20% DNF.
Ugh.
Ok. Points for weasels dancing. (Opening scene.) but after the opening scene? It’s all downhill.
1: the only female position is to be married or in impossible love.
2: the social outcast is the only one who is smart, and he’s “so much smarter” than anyone else.
3: the fish/weasel “impossible love” is supposed to be daring? Whatever.
4: if you were trying to be daring, maybe don’t set it up in formal New England class structures with cotillions and tea dances.
This story is supposed to be fantasy and evocative, but it reinforces class/gender structure and is gross.
Not for my kids.
Ugh.
Ok. Points for weasels dancing. (Opening scene.) but after the opening scene? It’s all downhill.
1: the only female position is to be married or in impossible love.
2: the social outcast is the only one who is smart, and he’s “so much smarter” than anyone else.
3: the fish/weasel “impossible love” is supposed to be daring? Whatever.
4: if you were trying to be daring, maybe don’t set it up in formal New England class structures with cotillions and tea dances.
This story is supposed to be fantasy and evocative, but it reinforces class/gender structure and is gross.
Not for my kids.
I got into Tor Seidler in elementary school because of [b:A Rat's Tale|557537|A Rat's Tale|Tor Seidler|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175789958s/557537.jpg|2970994]--I had pet rats at the time, and once wrote him a letter about them that he very graciously and personally responded to. But it was this book that won my heart.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Strange story. Not great writing. But my kids enjoyed having it read aloud to them at bedtime over the course of this summer.