The Curious Child [Paperback]

Donyell Floyd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 24, 2008

If curiosity once killed a cat....

...it certainly saved this little boy from an untimely fate with a not-so-friendly dragon! Come along this journey and find out why there’s no such thing as a silly question.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a lovely story, well written, and the illustrations are magical. My seven-year-old has read it five times and slept with it once. Something about it really inspires him. -- W.F. Reel - Omaha, Nebraska

From the Author

The Curious Child is a story for everyone, parents and children alike! My hope is to get a simple message across: knowledge comes to those who ask.

Enjoy!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 16 pages
• Publisher: Outskirts Press (February 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598000462
• ISBN-13: 978-1598000467
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,905,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars knowledge is power !!!, April 29, 2008

By 

Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Curious Child (Paperback)

The Curious Child by Donyell Floyd tells the fascinating short children's story of a young boy in a small village; and it seems that this young boy can't ever stop asking questions. What we learn from this book is an important lesson about life; and the illustrations are very nicely done as well.

When the story begins, we read of a young boy who asks questions about life--a whole lot of questions! "What makes the water wet?" "Why doesn't the sky fall?" are just two examples of the kind of questions this young boy asks. Well, eventually the adults in the village grow rather tired of answering and tolerating all these questions from the child; and they send him off to a wise old dragon on the island who can answer his questions--and get him to stop asking so many questions in the future.

But there's a surprise. The dragon had grown cranky and downright mean in his old age; and he no longer was the same. The young curious boy, with two people alongside him to escort him to the dragon, quickly realize that the dragon is going to eat them all for being bothered by their presence.

The dragon, however, does give the young boy a chance to escape death. He tells the young boy that he can ask him three questions--and if the dragon can't answer just one of the three questions he will let the boy and his two escorts go free.

Naturally, the boy outwits the dragon--he asks how many numbers are there! The dragon seems stupefied by the question; and to this day he can be heard counting numbers long after he let the young child and his escorts go free.

The thing I love about this beautiful children's book is that the child learns you can never ask too many questions. This is important for the development of critical thought and knowledge. In addition, there is also the message that no question is silly or stupid; they all have equal merit. How wonderful!

The book is embellished by beautiful illustrations by Grethel Peralta; and this makes the book even more special.

Overall, I highly recommend this book for children ages 9 through 12. They will love this book. If you can sit with your child while they read this book it will stimulate important conversations about the importance of questions, critical thought, and tolerance of the thirst for knowledge every child has.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book!, April 24, 2008

By 

Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer -... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Curious Child (Paperback)

I believe almost all parents at times wish their children would not ask so many questions. Perhaps it is because we understand that we really don't know as much as we would like to believe we do. In this enlightening book by Donni Floyd we meet a young boy who has questions about everything that he asked everyone. At first all the people tried to answer his questions, but when he seemed to never stop asking they became quite annoyed. What were they to do?
A decision was made to send him to the ancient dragon that lived on top of the biggest mountain on the island. They hoped perhaps the dragon could cast a spell on the young boy to stop his curiosity. There was a problem however. They did not know that the dragon had become mean over the years. Sure enough when the dragon saw the little boy he told him he was going to eat him and his two friends as well.
Thinking quickly the little boy told the dragon why he was there and made a deal. one, that if the little boy won, his life and the life of his friends would be spared. What do you think happens?
"The Curious Child," is a great learning book. It teaches children it is alright to ask questions, but helps them to understand that not all questions have answers. The illustrations are great, even though they are not in color, this seemed to enhance the read and the location the story was written in. A very nice book, one your child and you will enjoy.

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Kids @ Teens Read Too, January 13, 2009

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Curious Child (Paperback)

Is there such a thing as too many questions?

For one young boy, the youngest child on an island in the middle of the sea, the answer is no. For the other villagers, who are pestered night and day by the curious child who will not stop asking questions, the answer doesn't matter!

Fed up with the constant questions - "Why is water wet?", "Why doesn't the sky fall?" - the natives decide to take the boy to the ancient dragon who lives on top of the biggest mountain, in hopes that he can cure the boy of his endless curiosity and neverending questions.

What the villagers don't know is that the dragon has become mean with all of the years spent alone, and it's only through the boy's quick thinking that he and his companions don't end up as the dragon's dinner.

THE CURIOUS CHILD is a cute, quick fable that teaches children that curiosity, although a virtue, does have its limits. But I agree that there is no such thing as too many questions!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"