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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
My husband and I took turns reading this aloud so I didn't get the full effect. I read it as a child and I remember liking it. My son likes it and will sometimes incorporate the story into his imaginative play.
I tried again with this, but the stereotypes where just too brutal. I did enjoy Bank's writing style very much.
I have read this story many times as a child and seen the movie. I'm now reading it to my three year old. Nostalgic.
lighthearted
Loved this book. So fun and creative. I read it almost in one sitting and found it a page turner. Even though its a bit dated, I would recommend it to kids of all ages to read.
This was one of my favorite books as a kid — unsurprisingly, as it combines two of my favorite tropes: "toys come to life" (not counting Chucky, of course) and "tiny people (or rodents, etc.) in a normal-sized world". I hadn't read it in forever so I was a bit nervous about how problematic it would be. It was actually much better in that respect than I feared, but is still full of stereotypes. It's awkward, because the explicit message in the book is that the popular Western movie idea of Native Americans is inaccurate, outdated, and racist. Multiple characters learn and discuss this fact in the book. There are also many times where Omri assumes something "Indians" like and Little Bear corrects him to explain that, as an Iroquois, his culture differs from other tribes'. However, Little Bear is still portrayed as a pretty aggressive and wild figure, often bragging (in his broken English) about how many scalps he's collected and demanding Omri give him a wife to cook for him.
On the other hand, his white counterpart, the cowboy Boone, is treated in a similar manner, aligning quite a bit with stereotypes (including his speech). And both are also given certain traits which do challenge the stereotypes. So on balance I really think Banks was trying to be fair in her portrayal of the characters, and the moral of the story is basically to get to know people for who they are and not get stuck on assumptions. The problem is that she does this in a way that implies her portrayal of Native Americans and their history IS accurate, when it's really not.
Side note: I also had forgotten how awful Patrick is. I haven't hated a character that much in a long time, and he's not even a villain! An antagonist, sure, but man, if some friend of mine behaved the way he does, we wouldn't have been friends for long.
Overall, I still think it's a fun book and has a well-intentioned, if not perfectly-executed, message. If I had kids (or were a teacher, etc.), I would probably read this one with them and then discuss some of the nuance with them. It could actually be a great jumping off point for learning that kind of critical thinking.
On the other hand, his white counterpart, the cowboy Boone, is treated in a similar manner, aligning quite a bit with stereotypes (including his speech). And both are also given certain traits which do challenge the stereotypes. So on balance I really think Banks was trying to be fair in her portrayal of the characters, and the moral of the story is basically to get to know people for who they are and not get stuck on assumptions. The problem is that she does this in a way that implies her portrayal of Native Americans and their history IS accurate, when it's really not.
Side note: I also had forgotten how awful Patrick is. I haven't hated a character that much in a long time, and he's not even a villain! An antagonist, sure, but man, if some friend of mine behaved the way he does, we wouldn't have been friends for long.
Overall, I still think it's a fun book and has a well-intentioned, if not perfectly-executed, message. If I had kids (or were a teacher, etc.), I would probably read this one with them and then discuss some of the nuance with them. It could actually be a great jumping off point for learning that kind of critical thinking.
This was better than expected! I did this as an audiobook and the narration was great! I loved how she did the voice of Little Bull. It added a lot of personality to the story. I remember vaguely seeing the movie years ago and was unimpressed. But this I actually liked! The moral perplexity of real vs plastic. The care needed for these small people (and lengths he goes to take care for his Indian and give him what he wants...). Little Bull is a bossy little Indian who frustrated me at times. Never did make up my mind about the cowboy though. Somewhere between like and okay. I loved the scene where he realized what he is standing on when first brought to life!