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curatoriallyyours's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Talk about fast-paced! No sooner had one problem resolved that another began! And, for a children’s book, there were an awful amount of murderous schemes! This is definitely a book of its time but I can see the charm of it and the way it would have captured the imagination of children when it was published. I’m glad to have read this piece of Australian history but I don’t think I’ll be recommending it for small children! I will, however, be magpieing the word “deadibones” and I will continue to refer to banksia seedpods as big bad banksia men until I am deadibones myself!
babyleo's review against another edition
4.0
I am certainly glad I fulfil the 7+ category this book seems to have been given. Personally I think when it comes to books like Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, Peter Pan, Blinky Bill, any of these classic children's literature there should be no age. Everyone must enjoy them as soon as they are able. There is nothing in this book a six year old wouldn't understand, they'd love it.
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie is practically an Australian institution. I do not know how legitimate these claims are but I think it is a fair call. The edition I own is a very old second hand book from 1984 which incidentally fell apart as I was reading. But before it became two separate sections of stained pages clinging for life with its thin cover the only protection and support, it was the collected works.
What I never realised what how the story of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie came about, yes they were brothers but apparently not exactly. Blown in by the wind Cuddlepie is adopted by Snugglepot's parents as a baby, and thus the duo was created. Isn't that sweet? Though I do wonder about poor Mrs Cuddlepie who had her baby blown away by the wind hours after it was born, and never see or hear from it again. That's gotta be tough.
When the pair grow older they wish to have adventures, stories of the humans pass through the bush and Snugglepot is intrigued and curious of them. Tagging along is Cuddlepie and soon the start of their many adventures begin. In the first book there is an anti human feel about it, understandable of course, but it was interesting the fact that the original story was written in 1918 and the same issues about trapping and arson are relevant. There is a constant threat of death and many characters appear dead until they recover, but Gibbs isn't shy of making you think they're dead from whatever horrid thing they've experienced. It is what it is, and that's what makes it great.
As a pair they tend to wander off a lot, often right in the middle of something they had been doing. This I think accounts for the majority of trouble and kidnapping situations they get themselves into. Each of the three main stories are very fast paced and filled with mini adventures that connect together, and there are a lot of new friends and characters to meet. Some of which are reoccurring through all three books, some are only seen once. One of the things that did annoy me was that in one of the most Australian books we've got, Koalas keep being called bears. No Gibbs, no! They are not bears! Surely you knew this in 1918, if not by 1918 then by 1934 you had figured it out for your final story? Yes? Apparently no.
So aside from the fact we keep hearing about the "bears" this was a rather quaint and charming little set of books. What interested me was how the Banksia story came about. Everyone knows about the Banksia men, everyone knows they are the enemies of the gumnuts but I was rather surprised to find out why. I am not going to tell you because that ruins them magic, and there is a lot of little magic moments in these stories. They are very blunt and jumpy and seem to just go from one thing to the next like a distracted toddler but they also manage to connect in some strange bizarre kind of way.
Gibbs talks to her readers like she is reading the story to them, in that sense it would work very well to read to your child, again the under sevens. Why over seven? Anyway the animals in this book are for the most part very sweet, and in the beginning I was suspicious of every animal that came along pretty much because lizards don't generally do nice things for birds and I was confused. But this is a sweet, innocent and joyful story so everyone is nice, and all the bad characters are easily identified to avoid confusion once you realise how Gibbs writes. She also uses a lot of strange phrases which I cannot tell is supposed to be old Aussie rhyming slang or something, or just bush talk that all these creatures use, because it is strange.
The second and third stories follow these same patterns, mini adventures after another, sequels to the previous stories. Other characters get some more history as the stories continue and the continuing adventures of the duo and their friends manages to fill in all the missing information that remained from the previous book. It is rather a good system. You find out more about new places and people, an entire town goes to the dentist, Winky still will not wake, and despite being brothers Snugglepot and Cuddlepie spend a lot of time apart and move in with people very quickly.
There is some grubby bits about death and injury but there are no elaborate details, and Gibbs doesn't exactly cover death in a deep, serious way. Sure the Banksia men want to drown the gumnuts, sure people get choked a lot, there is also a brilliant conversation that simply says 'Why did I get blown up?" to which the reply is 'It was an accident...they will happen.' And that they do Ms Gibb, that they do.
This review was posted on blog http://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/2013/03/06/snugglepot-and-cuddlepie-by-may-gibbs/
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie is practically an Australian institution. I do not know how legitimate these claims are but I think it is a fair call. The edition I own is a very old second hand book from 1984 which incidentally fell apart as I was reading. But before it became two separate sections of stained pages clinging for life with its thin cover the only protection and support, it was the collected works.
What I never realised what how the story of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie came about, yes they were brothers but apparently not exactly. Blown in by the wind Cuddlepie is adopted by Snugglepot's parents as a baby, and thus the duo was created. Isn't that sweet? Though I do wonder about poor Mrs Cuddlepie who had her baby blown away by the wind hours after it was born, and never see or hear from it again. That's gotta be tough.
When the pair grow older they wish to have adventures, stories of the humans pass through the bush and Snugglepot is intrigued and curious of them. Tagging along is Cuddlepie and soon the start of their many adventures begin. In the first book there is an anti human feel about it, understandable of course, but it was interesting the fact that the original story was written in 1918 and the same issues about trapping and arson are relevant. There is a constant threat of death and many characters appear dead until they recover, but Gibbs isn't shy of making you think they're dead from whatever horrid thing they've experienced. It is what it is, and that's what makes it great.
As a pair they tend to wander off a lot, often right in the middle of something they had been doing. This I think accounts for the majority of trouble and kidnapping situations they get themselves into. Each of the three main stories are very fast paced and filled with mini adventures that connect together, and there are a lot of new friends and characters to meet. Some of which are reoccurring through all three books, some are only seen once. One of the things that did annoy me was that in one of the most Australian books we've got, Koalas keep being called bears. No Gibbs, no! They are not bears! Surely you knew this in 1918, if not by 1918 then by 1934 you had figured it out for your final story? Yes? Apparently no.
So aside from the fact we keep hearing about the "bears" this was a rather quaint and charming little set of books. What interested me was how the Banksia story came about. Everyone knows about the Banksia men, everyone knows they are the enemies of the gumnuts but I was rather surprised to find out why. I am not going to tell you because that ruins them magic, and there is a lot of little magic moments in these stories. They are very blunt and jumpy and seem to just go from one thing to the next like a distracted toddler but they also manage to connect in some strange bizarre kind of way.
Gibbs talks to her readers like she is reading the story to them, in that sense it would work very well to read to your child, again the under sevens. Why over seven? Anyway the animals in this book are for the most part very sweet, and in the beginning I was suspicious of every animal that came along pretty much because lizards don't generally do nice things for birds and I was confused. But this is a sweet, innocent and joyful story so everyone is nice, and all the bad characters are easily identified to avoid confusion once you realise how Gibbs writes. She also uses a lot of strange phrases which I cannot tell is supposed to be old Aussie rhyming slang or something, or just bush talk that all these creatures use, because it is strange.
The second and third stories follow these same patterns, mini adventures after another, sequels to the previous stories. Other characters get some more history as the stories continue and the continuing adventures of the duo and their friends manages to fill in all the missing information that remained from the previous book. It is rather a good system. You find out more about new places and people, an entire town goes to the dentist, Winky still will not wake, and despite being brothers Snugglepot and Cuddlepie spend a lot of time apart and move in with people very quickly.
There is some grubby bits about death and injury but there are no elaborate details, and Gibbs doesn't exactly cover death in a deep, serious way. Sure the Banksia men want to drown the gumnuts, sure people get choked a lot, there is also a brilliant conversation that simply says 'Why did I get blown up?" to which the reply is 'It was an accident...they will happen.' And that they do Ms Gibb, that they do.
This review was posted on blog http://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/2013/03/06/snugglepot-and-cuddlepie-by-may-gibbs/
gigiivid's review against another edition
4.0
This was one of my childhood favourites. I went to more then one birthday party with this theme!
readbyamity's review against another edition
4.0
I received a finished copy of this book from @scholastic_au in exchange for my honest review.
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie were quintessential characters from both my own childhood and my parents’ childhood. I suppose even my Grandparents grew up with the adventurous little gum nuts.
If you aren’t from Australia, their stories might not be known to you at all, but these precious gum nuts encouraged me to always be kind to nature. I was certain that the trees were filled with fairies and all-sorts.
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie are a gum nut brothers that one day decide to sneak out of their home and go on an adventure to see an infamous human in person. Along the way they are pulled into many different directions, meeting life-long friends and enemies.
This new bind-up of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie’s adventures is filled with the wonderful illustrations that always accompanies May Gibb’s work. The font is very easy to read and will be the perfect addition to my classics shelf.
For my full review visit my blog:
http://readbyamity.blog/2021/02/04/review-the-complete-adventures-of-snugglepot-cuddlepie/
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie were quintessential characters from both my own childhood and my parents’ childhood. I suppose even my Grandparents grew up with the adventurous little gum nuts.
If you aren’t from Australia, their stories might not be known to you at all, but these precious gum nuts encouraged me to always be kind to nature. I was certain that the trees were filled with fairies and all-sorts.
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie are a gum nut brothers that one day decide to sneak out of their home and go on an adventure to see an infamous human in person. Along the way they are pulled into many different directions, meeting life-long friends and enemies.
This new bind-up of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie’s adventures is filled with the wonderful illustrations that always accompanies May Gibb’s work. The font is very easy to read and will be the perfect addition to my classics shelf.
For my full review visit my blog:
http://readbyamity.blog/2021/02/04/review-the-complete-adventures-of-snugglepot-cuddlepie/
catherinemcfall's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
storytimewithlily's review against another edition
4.0
I've always loved these stories. The last time I read it was maybe 9ish years ago so I was well overdue.
May Gibbs was a feminist icon, never having kids and bargaining hard for her fair share of the money made when talking with publishers. She was also ahead of her times in her "advocacy for the preservation of wildlife"
The Gumnut stories are super cute and easy to read and I have a lot of nostalgia and love for them. I also want to live at the bottom of the sea and ride sea dragons.
***
So I've only just gotten through the first story. Will update again once finished.
I never realised that Snugglepot and Cuddlepie were such killers?! Like one kills a whole bunch of ant eggs (sure wasn't his fault when he was dropped on them) and it was just like "whoops". then they killed a couple bird eggs when asked to babysit and then tried to cover it up by putting other eggs in the nest which turned out to be lizard eggs. Then nearly got the frog guy killed (he was eaten but then escaped)
And then there's the racism?
Like even when I was younger and reading these books I could recognise that the art design for the Banksia Men were pretty racist (although they are based on real banksia bushes, they're the only "black" looking creatures, all with squinting evil eyes and fat lips and all are evil. But this may also be just my interpretation and no one elses) and people definitely shouldn't be able to get away with something like this these days (though I do also recognise that May Gibbs was a white woman writing in the early 1900s so probably didn't consider it as racist). But also the only dark-skinned gumnut was referred to as "the Red Gumnut". I guess this is similar to how native Americans were depicted in Peter Pan.
I can understand the history but if you're reading this to kids these days please go out of your way to educate them that this behaviour and type of representation should not be allowed today.
May Gibbs was a feminist icon, never having kids and bargaining hard for her fair share of the money made when talking with publishers. She was also ahead of her times in her "advocacy for the preservation of wildlife"
The Gumnut stories are super cute and easy to read and I have a lot of nostalgia and love for them. I also want to live at the bottom of the sea and ride sea dragons.
***
So I've only just gotten through the first story. Will update again once finished.
I never realised that Snugglepot and Cuddlepie were such killers?! Like one kills a whole bunch of ant eggs (sure wasn't his fault when he was dropped on them) and it was just like "whoops". then they killed a couple bird eggs when asked to babysit and then tried to cover it up by putting other eggs in the nest which turned out to be lizard eggs. Then nearly got the frog guy killed (he was eaten but then escaped)
And then there's the racism?
Like even when I was younger and reading these books I could recognise that the art design for the Banksia Men were pretty racist (although they are based on real banksia bushes, they're the only "black" looking creatures, all with squinting evil eyes and fat lips and all are evil. But this may also be just my interpretation and no one elses) and people definitely shouldn't be able to get away with something like this these days (though I do also recognise that May Gibbs was a white woman writing in the early 1900s so probably didn't consider it as racist). But also the only dark-skinned gumnut was referred to as "the Red Gumnut". I guess this is similar to how native Americans were depicted in Peter Pan.
I can understand the history but if you're reading this to kids these days please go out of your way to educate them that this behaviour and type of representation should not be allowed today.
debnanceatreaderbuzz's review against another edition
3.0
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie are foster gum-nut brothers who live in the Australian bush. Together they set off on an adventure to find humans. Mr. Lizard accompanies them, and along the way they meet Ragged Blossom, who also join them. They meet many new friends, but find they must fight the wicked Mrs. Snake and the Bad Banksia Men.
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie is one of Australia's best-loved children's books. It was first published in 1941.
One of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read.
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie is one of Australia's best-loved children's books. It was first published in 1941.
One of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read.
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