Cautionary Tales for Children

Book Description

Known as a central figure in English literature, Hilaire Belloc produced a number of stunning, funny, and clever admonishments for children. The tales in this volume, illustrated by the inimitable Edward Gorey, contain instructive lessons for almost everyone.
For those children prone to wandering off from their caretakers, there is the story of a certain young Jim, "who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion." Those known to stretch the truth will hardly be comforted by the tale of Matilda, "who told lies and was burned to death." And as for those of us--and our children--who tend to the vainglorious, there is the sobering tale of Godolphin Horne, "who was cursed with the sin of pride and became a boot-black."
Witty, brilliant, and strikingly irreverent.

Customer Reviews:

Revisiting CAutionary Tales.......2007-05-18

This was one of the loved books of my childhood in the original edition, of course.

I hadn't seen it for a very long time and was anxious to haev a copy for my younger grandchildren. Though old people can enjoy it as well.

Now plesed to have it on my own shelves

Dark humor and delightful drawings.......2007-05-07

I got this to read to my nephews, and it did not disappoint when the time came to pick a story to read. I highly recommend this and the Gashlycrumb Tinies to anyone with children or nephews....

What you do comes back.......2006-05-03

I just gave this to a friends' one year old for her birthday. In the inscription I wrote that she ought to read and learn, as whatever she does in life will come back to haunt her. My friend thought the book hysterical. Her husband thinks we're both odd...

Completing the Edward Gorey library.......2006-01-27

JIM, who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion.

It's small wonder that Edward Gorey chose to illustrate Belloc's verses, written nearly a century ago - in fact, they were such a clear and strong influence on his work, it's hard to believe he didn't write them himself. 'Cautionary Tales' is a literary work that was years ahead of its time, parodying the overtly-strict educational children's verses of the time with tales of children whose punishment is wholly disproportioned to their crime. Gorey's illustrations, published only after his death in 2000, complete the ghoulish verses with his trademark naïve and refined black and white crosshatching. Already in his seventies, Gorey has lost none of his charm and style and these illustrations are as nasty and sarcastic as anything he's done, perfectly complimenting the ironic text.

'Cautionary Tales' is the first work of Gorey's published after his death, and it's a perfect conclusion to his illustrious career, and one of his finest works. It's an essential to any fan of this great artist.

Deliciously twisted.......2005-11-18

One can imagine Edward Gorey mulling over these "Cautionary Tales",subsequently creating succinct Goreyesque illustrations for them. Then years later after presenting his family to us in "The Willowdale Handcar" he undoubtedbly mulled over ideas about families & children and came up with my personal favorite Gorey: The Gashleycrumb Tinies. If you like Gorey & you like the Tinies, you'll enjoy "Cautionary Tales".

4 stars only because I happen to like the devilishly wonderful "Tinies" better.

Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue

Average customer rating:

Pierre: A review
Great Kids Story
Delightful book, but this is the original nutshell library size (very small)
Fun, fun, fun!
Grandmother's Review

Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue

Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064432521

Amazon.com

Oh, that naughty boy! No matter what his parents say, Pierre just doesn't care.

"What would you like to eat?"
"I don't care!"
"Some lovely cream of wheat?"
"I don't care!"
Don't sit backwards on your chair."
"I don't care!"
"Or pour syrup on your hair."
"I don't care!"

Even when a hungry lion comes to pay a call, Pierre won't snap out of his ennui. Every child has one of these days sometimes. Mix in a stubborn nature, a touch of apathy, and a haughty pout, and it can turn noxious. Parents may cajole, scold, bribe, threaten--all to no avail. When this mood strikes, the Pierres of the world will not budge, even for the carnivorous king of beasts. Created by one of the best-loved author-illustrators of children's books, Maurice Sendak, this 1962 cautionary tale is hardly a pedantic diatribe against children who misbehave. Still, by the end of the lilting, witty story, most children will take the moral (Care!) to heart. Pierre's downward-turned eyebrows, his parents' pleading faces, and the lion's almost sympathetic demeanor as he explains that he will soon eat Pierre, make the package perfect. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Pierre's `I don't care!' intrigues a hungry lion. `A story with a moral air about Pierre, who learned to care.'

Customer Reviews:

Pierre: A review.......2007-08-01

I bought this book after having it read to me as a child. I wanted to read it to my son. I didn't expect for it too be so small. However I was just happy to get the book and be able to read it to him and get the morale across. I had difficulty finding it in bookstore, and was thrilled that it was carried by Amazon! I highly recommend it to other Parents :-)

Great Kids Story.......2007-04-04

How can you go wrong with Maurice Sendak? Every thing he has done is fantastic.

Delightful book, but this is the original nutshell library size (very small).......2007-02-27

Pierre, Alligators All Around, One Was Johnny, and Chicken Soup with Rice are wonderful books and beautifully illustrated. They come in three sizes--the original nutshell library size (the size of an hp ink cartridge box), the re-released hardcover nutshell library size (the size of an hp ink cartridge without the box), and the paperback set. The description for this set makes it appear it is the paperback set--it is not. It is actually the original nutshell library size and quite small. It doesn't appear that Amazon currently sells the regular paperback size, so unless you're specifically looking for a very small book, wait for the regular size.

Fun, fun, fun!.......2007-02-04

I have the casette tape of this story (a MUST, because the entire story is sung and it's so very wonderful) and every year I put on the casette and sing the story to my class. I have yet to find a group that does not enjoy this story and beg repeatedly for me to play it again. In the beginning, a few students will pick up on the refrain "I don't care" as well as the timing and by the time we've played it for a week or so, most of the students sing along, giggling all the way. The message is clear, you must find something to care about otherwise you're doomed to live inside a lion. And after much discussion, my students (kindergarten) get that fact.

Grandmother's Review.......2006-11-26

I bonded with my grandson over this book. At three years old, he would spend every Friday night with me. At bedtime, he chose this book every time. I would read it to him, and we would think of different ways to say, "I don't care." It was great interaction and dialogue, a wonderful moral to the story, and easy to go to sleep after. I have just ordered three more copies for friends and relatives with young children.

Average customer rating:

hilarious
A Book to Appeal to All Ages
If you love to hear your children laugh read this book
Great, short bedtime book
Parents will love getting asked to read this!

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
Mo Willems
Manufacturer: Walker Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1844280594

Book Description

Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood Laundromat. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny was left behind . . . Using a combination of muted black-and-white photographs and expressive illustrations, this stunning book tells a brilliantly true-to-life tale about what happens when Daddys in charge and things go terribly, hilariously wrong. Mo Willems is a six-time Emmy Awardwinning writer and former animator for Sesame Street, and the creator of Cartoon Networks Sheep in the Big City. Both his first book for children, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, and his fourth book Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale won prestigious Caldecott Honors from the American Library Association. The New York Times has called him "the biggest new talent to emerge thus far in the 00's". Mo lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.

Customer Reviews:

hilarious.......2007-10-02

I read Knuffle Bunny for my children's literature class and I literally laughed out loud from it. The pictures are comical and perfectly expressive and Trixie is a riot. Mo Willems truly encaptured the actions/behavior of a child in such a situation in Trixie...going boneless....genius. Every child should read this book. I highly reccommend it.

A Book to Appeal to All Ages.......2007-09-11

On a whim, I checked this book out of the library this summer for my youngest son, who is five. When I read it to him, we were both delighted. We laughed our heads off and read it three times back to back. I then brought it home and read it to my two older children, ages 12 and 8. They also thought it was hilarious. My 12 year old actually read it several more times that evening. Later that night, my husband and I read it and laughed over the illustrations. This is the classic story of parents and children everywhere. We could identify with both the parent and the child who lost the "lovey."
A huge thumbs up from our whole family.

If you love to hear your children laugh read this book.......2007-08-19

This is a fast read and it makes my daughters ages 2 and 7 laugh so hard every time they hear it. The art doesn't appeal to me personally but my kids seem to enjoy it. I enjoy the story. I don't see it as " a child misbehaving 90% of the book". I laugh at how parents misunderstand children and every suffer for it. Have to sign off because the girls are insisting I read this book right now because it is "hilarious".

Great, short bedtime book.......2007-08-01

This is a short, fun book. Not much to it but the story is fun. I like to have short books around near bedtime so my son doesn't make me read through a long one like Cars and Trucks and Things That Go. The back jacket also has a mug shot of Mo Willems, the author. The picture looks a little like me and when I first read it to my son he thought it was me.

Parents will love getting asked to read this!.......2007-07-27

If you have a toddler, you are going to laugh your head off when you see the page where the kid goes "boneless"!! Oh yeah, we have all been there, and it is every parent's nightmare. You can read this book every night to your kids and never get sick of it! Buy it for your kids, buy it for new parents (Just to freak them out about what they are in for!!), and buy one to read to your future grandkids, too. If you don't love it, you are taking life too seriously!!

Average customer rating:

An Apostrophe Lesson

Greedy Apostrophe: A Cautionary Tale
Jan Carr
Manufacturer: Holiday House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 082342006X

Book Description

It's the moment all the punctuation marks have been eagerly awaiting: assignment time, There are plenty of open positions for apostrophes as contractions soon there's only one job left--for a possessive--and only one apostrophe to fill it: non other than Greedy Apostrophe. It's not long before his greed gets out of hand, and he jumps into signs where he doesn't belong. What will it take to put Greedy Apostrophe back in his place? This clever and zany language arts picture book will have kids eager to learn the tricks of using an apostrophe.

Customer Reviews:

An Apostrophe Lesson.......2007-05-12

I enjoyed this book with my 7 year old son and he liked it. The pictures are funny and help keep the punctuation lesson on a fun level. I' not convinced that he'll know how to use the apostrophe from reading this one book but at least he'll have a head start.

Princess Justina Albertina: A Cautionary Tale

Average customer rating:

Three Silly Chicks Review
Definitely a kid's book great!
A whimsical picturebook with an underlying moral
Mom's will laugh out loud, too

Princess Justina Albertina: A Cautionary Tale
Ellen Dee Davidson
Manufacturer: Charlesbridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

Three Silly Chicks Review.......2007-10-02

Reviewed by Three Silly Chicks - Readers, Writers, and Reviewers of funny books for kids.

The title character of this cautionary tale, Princess Justina Albertina, is one of those horrid little girls you love to hate. She's nasty and bratty, spoiled and mean; a despicable twit who could easily give Veruca Salt a run for her money. You know the type.

Her nanny, on the other hand, rocks the casbah. When Justina demands a pet, nanny comes through. When Justina demands a BETTER pet, nanny comes through again. When Justina demands an EVEN BETTER pet, her unflappable, invincible nanny comes through yet again...until Princess Justina Albertina finally gets the pet she deserves.

Heh, heh, heh.

We won't tell you what happens next, but let's just say the princess suffers a fate worse than Veruca's. But lest you wonder whether the finale's a bit too grim for youngsters, rest assured that our unofficial focus group (a spry group of kinders from Ottawa, Illinois) found the ending so delightfully delicious, they immediately asked for seconds...and so will you!

Michael Chesworth's illustrations are a winsome hoot, the perfect accompaniment to Ellen Dee Davidson's wry, clever text. Don't miss this one!

Definitely a kid's book great!.......2007-06-05

Get this book if you want to have a good giggle with your kid! It's like Mrs. Pigglewiggle with a twist - or a fractured fairy tale with a bite! Great for kids who have developed their sense of humor a bit - and for parents who want to develop a sense of humor on those occasions kids are demanding. A "must read". Another plus for tired parents: it's funny AND short!

A whimsical picturebook with an underlying moral.......2007-04-14

Princess Justina Albertina: A Cautionary Tale is a whimsical picturebook with an underlying moral - be very careful what you wish for! Princess Justina Albertina, a chubby, bad-tempered child princess used to getting her own way and giving her nanny headaches, wants a pet - but not just any pet will do. She mistreats and finds fault with every rare and exotic pet her nanny brings, and finally throws a tantrum until her nanny gives in and brings back the ultimate pet - a majestic griffon. "As soon as she saw him, Princess Justina Albertina ran over and said, 'He's perfect. He's exactly the pet I want.' The griffon opened his eagle beak and swallowed Princess Justina Albertina in one gulp. Then the griffon burped and flew away." The color illustrations vividly bring a spoiled young girl and her gaggle of amazing animals to life in this zany story with message.

Mom's will laugh out loud, too.......2007-02-08

Princess Justina Albertina likes to get her own way and if she doesn't--look out! When she decides she wants a pet, it is up to her nanny to find a pet with all the perfect qualities.

In this escalating story of a spoiled little girl, the author uses unusual animals with unique qualities that most any child would treasure. There is a wonderful moral to the story, but kids don't seem put off by that in the least, as it is funny rather than preachy. The illustrations are perfect for the text--and boy, will mothers recognize Princess Justina Albertina in her fit element.

In my first read through, I reached the final page and burst out laughing. My kids want to read it again and again and love to discuss the many different facets of the book. Boys and girls alike love this book and my three kids give it six thumbs up. I have to add my two thumbs to the count.

Armchair Interviews says: This book is a treasure to any child's library.

Don't Be a Bully Billy (Cautionary Tales)

Average customer rating:

:(
Not what it seems....or what I wanted
It's okay make sure you discuss

Don't Be a Bully Billy (Cautionary Tales)
Phil Roxbee Cox
Manufacturer: Usborne Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0794504655

Customer Reviews:

:(.......2007-07-27

This book shows a bully picking on children and all they can do is say, "Don't be a bully, Billy". They are not told how to deal with Billy or anything. In the end an alien gets picked on and his big brother alien takes Billy away. I do NOT recommend this book!

Not what it seems....or what I wanted.......2007-02-07

The blurb of this books states "A cautionary tale for children everywhere to warn of the perils of behaving badly and not doing what you're told." That much holds true for the book. HOWEVER, it does not teach the children how to resolve their problems on their own or with an adult. Is the moral of this story supposed to be don't bully or else an alien will take you off in his ship?

It's okay make sure you discuss.......2005-07-03

I bought this book hoping to help our 3 year old understand what makes a bully and how to not be one. He loves this book and asks me to read it over and over again. As long as you discuss what Billy is doing is not nice, this book may be of some help. However, there is one adult shown in the book. He never seems to be aware of what Billy is doing. In one picture he seems to be glancing over is shoulder at Billy shoving another child. After closer inspection, he wasn't. But a teacher, or adult never is made aware that Billy is being such a problem.

The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale (Picture Puffins)

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The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale (Picture Puffins)
Margaret Mahy
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (Stories to Go!)

ASIN: 0140557458

Give That Back, Jack! (Cautionary Tales)

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Give That Back, Jack! (Cautionary Tales)
Phil Roxbee Cox
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Don't Tell Lies, Lucy!: A Cautionary Tale

Average customer rating:

Huge wave
My kids love it!
Harsh consequences

Don't Tell Lies, Lucy!: A Cautionary Tale
Phil Roxbee Cox
Manufacturer: Usborne Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Huge wave.......2007-07-27

this girl inside here is a liar who does not tell the truth. In the end a huge wave takes her away.

My kids love it!.......2005-05-21

As the previous reviewer said, something certainly does happen to Lucy who can't stop lying. But please remember, this is a CAUTIONARY TALE in the same vein as The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Plenty of traditional fairy tales and fables contain unpleasant consequences for naughty children. These kinds of stories have been around for centuries and none of us are worse off because of them. But unlike the more traditional tales where someone gets gobbled up by a wolf, the main character in this story merely gets carried away atop a giant wave. My kids, age 7 and 3, LOVE this story as well as the other two books in the series. It's written in a tongue-in-cheek manner that even young children know is make believe. The illustrations are really cute, the story is fun, but the underlying lesson is a good one... lying can get you into a lot of trouble.

Harsh consequences.......2004-12-31

My wife and I loved the idea of a pre-school book that addressed the importance of telling the truth, which is why we purchased this book for our two young children. After the first read, on Christmas Day of 2004, we found the lesson rather harsh with exaggerated consequences: Because Lucy lies so much, she believes that other people lie also. When her father warns Lucy's family that a "Great Big Wave" is coming, and that they must run, Lucy remains in bed and is swept away into the ocean. After all this has happened, Lucy's father asks nonchalantly if the rest of the family would like tea while Lucy is seen floating out in the ocean on her bed.
The following day, 12/26/04, the tsunamis in the Indian Ocean took the lives of thousands of children in Asian countries. Unfortunately for the author, who of course had know way of knowing such a catastrophe could ever take place, I can't imagine reading this book to my children ever again.

Don't Tell Lies, Lucy! (Cautionary Tales)

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Don't Tell Lies, Lucy! (Cautionary Tales)
Phil Roxbee Cox
Manufacturer: Usborne Publishing Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0746059086

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