Customer Reviews

Cowboy and Octopus

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We purchased this book for our toddler because we love anything with an octopus and, after reading it ourselves, I have to say this is perhaps one of the funniest and fun-est books on our shelves. I'm back on Amazon to order a handful more copies to give as gifts to children and adults (with the right sense of humor.) The dry wit and random narrative come together to entertain all ages. Is the best passage the one with the botched knock-knock joke? Or the brutal honest opinion on hats? You will want to decide for yourself.

We got this book from the library. The whole family thought it was hilarious, including my 5 yr old for whom it was intended. We liked it so much we are now purchasing it!

I love Jon Scieszka's books--we have most of them on my kids' book shelf--but this one is by far my favorite. I think it is the perfect mixture of simplicity, good underlying messeges about friendship, and humor that an adult can appreciate. My daughter loves it too. Lane Smith's illustrations are also fun and unique. Good job, Jon and Lane! Keep them coming!

My son and I came across this book in the bookstore. We sat down to read it and had a great time in doing so. We both liked it and thought it was great, in a different sort of way. There are some very funny parts that made both of us laugh, a lot. My son is 9, yet I would recommend for children between 4 and 12.

This picture book is actually several short stories about the unlikely friendship between an octopus and a cowboy. The stories are not too long, sometimes sweet and always hysterical. They celebrate the best of friendship, showcased especially well between these two opposites. For me, the unusual artwork adds immensely to the enjoyment of the book. It is not your typical picture book illustration!

My children and I had discovered Cowboy & Octopus at our library, and I knew the first time I read it that it would make the perfect Christmas gift for my lifelong friend who has begun collecting picture books. We had so much fun reading it aloud to everyone after she opened it--she reading the sensible Octopus part and me reading the goofy, yet sincere Cowboy.

My children currently range in age from 3 to 12, and I'm sure that in years to come we'll refer often to these funny examples of how friends should treat each other with appreciation, truthfulness and encouragement.

There are so many books at the library, that many times, I just grab books for my sons based on the covers. I am so glad I did this with this book. I love the art and the concept - cut-outs and paper art. You can even see the "sticky tape" on the front cover. The pages are rich and the colors are gorgeous. This is definitely a great book for a gift.

The book is divided into very short stories. The stories are hilarious - my 3 and 5 yo sons made me read it 3 times the first time. My 5 yo got the joke in "Help" when I didn't! Like other reviewers, I intend to buy Cowboy and Octopus for our collection.

The humor in this book is so sly and dry, it's actually kind of sophisticated, or (perish the thought!) intelligent. Contrast, for example, the kind of broad physical jokes that shows like SNL have largely resorted to in recent years...

I like to picture Scieska and Smith riffing about books such as the classic Frog and Toad Are Friends, then saying, "Wouldn't it be funny to do a book like that about a completely unlikely pairing?" Etc. I was amused by the professional reviewer who saw platitudes about friendship in here, as the couple of times a "platitude" is offered, it's either turned upside down a few pages later, or it's in such a tongue-in-cheek context as to become absurdist.

Anyway, the fact that Cowboy and Octopus never change expressions may seem a bit off-putting, except that the humor is equally deadpan. My favorite bits are probably the one about beans and bacon ("Chow Time") and the one about a knock-knock joke ("Who's There"), but I also liked the part about Octopus's Halloween costume ("Very Scary"). I have to wonder, though, how many kids will understand why Octopus thinks a rainy day is beautiful. I hope they do! Maybe a little conversation will help.

So, although I'm not sure this is the most accessible book out there, it's nice to have to think for a change, and I just got such a big kick out of Cowboy and Octopus! I'm glad to see that other readers are enjoying it as much as I did.

We took it out from the library and, like a previous poster, will be purchasing it soon.

If I had to sum up this book in one word, that word would almost certainly have to be "quirky". Not a word I like, but an excellent description of this book :)

The book is a series of very short stories about two paper cut-outs, a cowboy and an octopus. (Boy, you weren't expecting that, were you?) Mostly, the vignettes are just pure silliness, but there's an element of "What does it mean to be a friend" in many of them as well.

Most of the jokes aren't going to take an adult by surprise (or, for that matter, a lot of little kids), but they set-up and illustrations still combine to make them really, inexplicably funny.

I fully recommend this book to anybody who has a five year old, will have a five year old, once had a five year old, or has ever come within 1000 feet of a five year old.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. I'll read anything by this author, but this group of seven little stories is a treasure. Each story indirectly (and in a most definitely non-preachy way) teaches something about true friendship. And, the humor appeals to both kids and parents alike. We're still cracking up about the octopus in a tooth fairy costume, and cowboy's right--a lettuce knocking on a door IS pretty dang funny.

My 6 year old daughter and I loved this book. Lots of laughs for both kids and adults. This is our favorite children's book of the year.