The Fastest Fairy Tales Ever!

Once upon a time, there was a story with a main character, some other guys, and they did some stuff and then went home to go to bed, they were so tired. Once Upon A Time, The End, (Asleep in 60 Seconds) by Geoffrey Kloske, has the fastest fairy tales on white paper. So fast, you meet the main characters, such as Jack be Nimble, or the Three Pigs, and then before you know it, it's time for bed! Amazing!
Mr. Kloske makes no apologies, either. In fact, he tells you straight out that it's his perogative to give you the basics of the story and send you to bed. It appears Mr. Kloske has enjoyed many a storytime with children who asked for "just one more story" so many times, he decided to have a little fun with them. Every story and poem ends with someone dozing off, or getting ready to go to sleep. Adults can't help but laugh when reading this book with their little bundles of energy--most of them have felt the way Mr. Kloske writes--'if they would only just go to bed."

Why we like this book: The tongue-in-cheek approach to fairy tales appeals to the parents, mostly. Adults will find themselves laughing and enjoying the book so much, they won't mind reading 'just one more story.' My children, in particular, found it funny that their mother was chuckling, but didn't get why the story didn't end the way they were used to. Before they knew it, they were shuffled off to bed, sort of bewildered about what just happened, and did they really hear a bunch of stories, or was that just one book? Why was everyone going to bed in the stories? Barry Blitt's illustrations are reminiscent of a traditional fairy tale book, with a few twists here and there, fitting to the changes of plot Geoffrey Kloske instituted. For you grown-ups, Once Upon a Time, The End (Asleep in 60 Seconds) will certainly be an enjoyable variation on fairy tales, and a welcome way to read to the kids before bed at night.

A Good Series

As a young girl, there were lots of books that I enjoyed reading. The options seemed endless. I owe my love of children's books primarily to my mother, who was a public library fixture my entire young life. She went to the library like clockwork, every 2 weeks, to take back a stack of books and get a new stack. She always brought me back something good to read if I was in school, and when I wasn't, like summer, I went with her. On days when I was sick in bed, she'd bring me a stack of books to entertain me. A visit to the library with Mom meant a stop at the "Quick Shop" afterward--Ding Dongs for her, a Dolly Madison fruit pie for me (blueberry). So maybe I had ulterior motives for going with her to the library, but it always ended up worth my time, not just because of the Quick Shop, but because of the veritable smorgasboard of books to choose from. I know I've gone on a bit about this. This book, however, is a throwback to my days of going to the library, and now my sons love this book, too, which grew into a love of the entire series. I was reminded of it while shelving books at my children's school library, and found that our school library is gifted with many books by Ms. Sharmat--it really surprised me--that I was inspired to get out our books. So here's to you, Mom, and let's take a look at Nate The Great, by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat.

Nate the Great is a detective. He is a boy detective. He solves cases. And this is how he talks--like a little "Joe Friday" of sorts. The language, while seemingly simple, is still very descriptive. Nate lives in a neighborhood with lots of kids who have lots of need for a detective, I suppose. From a lost picture (in this, the first book), to lost lists, beach bags, baseball bases, Nate takes them all on, usually for no cost, although sometimes his clients tip him with his favorite food: Pancakes. Nate is a responsible boy, who always leaves a note for his mother as to where he is and what he is doing, and one would guess he'll make a good grown man someday, if we ever got to know him--one who loves his mother enough not to let her worry. :) Nate solves his cases sometimes in clever ways, and sometimes he gets mixed up in the solution--literally, like the solution to this case in the original book. There are several volumes now in the Nate the Great series, and worth reading each one, just as we have at our house.

Why we like this book: I think I alluded to many reasons: Nate is a boy detective, and when you have 3 sons, it's nice to have a simple story with a boy hero. His language use is easy to understand, and the text is good for young readers to decode to read, and be entertained by the story. This series is a good intro to chapter books, as well. Nate is curious about his environment, and uses deductive reasoning to solve his cases; also an important skill for all kids. The original illustrations were done by Marc Simont, who has illustrated many other books as well. They are, for lack of a better word, just cute pictures--what can I say? They look like kids and pets that you'd really like to know and make you smile with their expressions. I hope you enjoy Nate the Great.