Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Pinocchio the Boy by Lane Smith

Smith, Lane. Pinocchio the Boy. Viking, 2002. $16.99. PICTURE BOOK. Reprint. What would have happened to Pinocchio if the Blue Fairy turned him into a boy while he slept and he didn’t know it? That’s exactly what happened in this fractured fairytale. Pinocchio sees Geppetto sleeping, but looking sick and so tries to get him some soup. Pinocchio learns that he must have money for soup, but can’t find a job and is laughed off of the puppet stage because he is a real boy. A girl, whose mom is always working, doesn’t believe all Pinocchio’s stories about talking crickets and growing noses. In the end Pinocchio meets up with Geppetto who learns he is a real boy from the Blue Fairy who is the girl’s hard working mother. The illustrations are quirky and angular. Fans of fairytale spinoffs will enjoy this practical look at Pinocchio’s difficulties in adjusting to being a real boy. EL – ADVISABLE. Samantha, Public Librarian.

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