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chelseydavidson's review against another edition
3.0
Gregory Maguire has the reimagined fairy tale business on lock and rightfully so. Leaping Beauty and Other Animal Fairy Tales offers eight short stories: "Leaping Beauty," "Goldiefox and the Three Chickens," "Hamster and Gerbil," "So What and the Seven Giraffes," "Little Red Robin Hood," "The Three Little Penguins and the Big Bad Walrus," "Cinder-Elephant," and "Rumplesnakeskin." Each have their own spin, and true, the moral messages imbued in the originals are a little tainted in Maguire's retellings, but they still make for great reads. I liked the idea of a hamster and a gerbil vowing revenge on an evil skunk who, as their stepmother, sends them away, and all the problems that a skunk brings to a rodent family. I like "Leaping Beauty," in which the curse brought to the frog princess backfires wildly on the very person who put the curse upon her. I like the chimp named So What whose personality is shaped by the name he is given and how that conundrum is resolved. I like the idea of little penguins who live in an igloo and keep forgetting to shut off the oven and keep the door closed. It's all tremendously silly and that's what I like the most about it. As an adult, I appreciate the whimsy, and I'm sure any kid would get a kick out of it.
traveljenn's review against another edition
4.0
One of the reviews I read for this book said it was for children who were weened on The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Scieszka. It certainly is funny in the same way. The humor is based on language and not meanness. One of the titles of the short stories is “So what and the seven giraffes”. The title alone got me to snicker; the story is truly funny, it is about the king and queen of the baboons who have a baby boy who constantly says “So what?”. I suspect many of the jokes may be over the head of children and better enjoyed by adults. Some of the review websites recommended this book to children in second grade but I think that is too young. A second grader could read this book but would not get much of the humor. Not until fifth grade would most readers begin to understand all of the jokes. This would be great for a read aloud in a sixth or seventh grade class doing a unit on short stories.
http://www.jenniferstantonchapman.com/2012/05/09/book-review-leaping-beauty-by-gregory-maguire-31/
http://www.jenniferstantonchapman.com/2012/05/09/book-review-leaping-beauty-by-gregory-maguire-31/
mw_bookgraph's review against another edition
4.0
Reading aloud to the kid. She really likes the stories, it has been a great way to pass time while waiting.
williamsdebbied's review against another edition
3.0
A collection of fractured fairy tales by the author of Wicked. My favorite was Rumplesnakeskin. Silly, fun, and creative, but lacked the depth of other retellings. Maybe because all of the main characters were animals, but the stories just didn't speak to me that way that Donna Jo Napoli's do.
stephb413's review against another edition
3.0
Lots of puns, some clever, some monotonous (but my age determines I'm an adult.) I appreciate that this book encourages kids to be clever and think outside the traditional box. I think this could serve as an introduction to creative writing projects for youth as well as comparison of texts, old verses retelling. Worthwhile.
bradleygiselle's review against another edition
4.0
Leaping Beauty: 4
Goldiefox and the Three Chickens: 5
Hamster and Gerbil: 4
So What and the Seven Giraffes: 3.5
Little Red Robin Hood: 2
The Three Little Penguins and the Big Bad Walrus: 4
Cinder-Elephant: 4
Rumplesnakeskin: 3
Goldiefox and the Three Chickens: 5
Hamster and Gerbil: 4
So What and the Seven Giraffes: 3.5
Little Red Robin Hood: 2
The Three Little Penguins and the Big Bad Walrus: 4
Cinder-Elephant: 4
Rumplesnakeskin: 3
rhodesgiselle's review against another edition
4.0
Leaping Beauty: 4
Goldiefox and the Three Chickens: 5
Hamster and Gerbil: 4
So What and the Seven Giraffes: 3.5
Little Red Robin Hood: 2
The Three Little Penguins and the Big Bad Walrus: 4
Cinder-Elephant: 4
Rumplesnakeskin: 3
Goldiefox and the Three Chickens: 5
Hamster and Gerbil: 4
So What and the Seven Giraffes: 3.5
Little Red Robin Hood: 2
The Three Little Penguins and the Big Bad Walrus: 4
Cinder-Elephant: 4
Rumplesnakeskin: 3
amarieb's review against another edition
3.0
Cute, but a little too silly. A fun read though. I liked the section at the end that talked about the author.
booksandbosox's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty forgettable and not quite as adorable and amusing as I expected.