Customer Reviews

George Shrinks (Reading Rainbow)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"George Shrinks" is one of my favorite children's books of all time. It is the first book that William Joyce both wrote and illustrated--and what a grand debut!

A boy named George wakes up one morning to find that he is only three inches tall. He also finds a note from his parents with a list of chores he must do (which becomes Joyce's unique way of telling the story--the parent's note is the actual text of the book). The story follows George as he heroically navigates through the now gigantic house, evades the hungry house cat, and completes all his chores in very creative ways.

The illustrations, done in watercolors (though not pale and washy), are a mixture of highly realistic details (the house and surroundings), and a comic style (the characters). Included are several wordless full-page spreads of George flying a toy airplane which on their own are worth the price of the book.

If you can, buy the new large format of the book (November 2000 edition). The illustrations are much larger and the colors are more brilliant. The illustrations were probably rephotographed since the original edition is back from 1987 or so. (...) The newest version has a brand new cover illustration recently done by William Joyce.

Well, enjoy this book and happy shrinking!

"One day, while his mother and father were out, George dreamt he was small, and when he woke up he found it was true." So begins this delightful picture book by
William Joyce, who will be most familiar to folks as the creator of Disney Channel's Rolie Polie Olie. George too has his own series now, on PBS, and a spanking new
reprint of his original adventure.

The story here is fairly basic : George, suddenly three inches small, follows the instructions his parents left behind in a note, to clean up the house and watch his little
brother (now a BIG little brother). Along the way he avoids an ornery house cat and rides in a toy plane. Our kids favorite page features George scrubbing dirty
dishes by skiing down them on a sponge.

As with Rolie Polie Olie though, the story is secondary to Mr. Joyce's remarkable artwork. In Olie he manages to combine Art Deco with Futurism; here it's all
throwback. George Shrinks looks like a really hip version of the Dick and Jane books. A story with a miniature hero kids can relate to and illustration interesting
enough to hold adult attention--what more can you ask?

GRADE : A

George wakes up to discover he's become small, and then has to do his chores, including washing the dishes (with a sponge for a skis) and taking a bath (of course the rubber ducky is now as big as a boat). Its recommended for 3+ years, but my 16 month-old adores it.

"George Shrinks" is one of my favorite children's books of all time. It is the first book that William Joyce both wrote and illustrated--and what a grand debut!

A boy named George wakes up one morning to find that he is only three inches tall. He also finds a note from his parents with a list of chores he must do (which becomes Joyce's unique way of telling the story--the parent's note is the actual text of the book). The story follows George as he heroically navigates through the now gigantic house, evades the hungry house cat, and completes all his chores in very creative ways.

The illustrations, done in watercolors (though not pale and washy), are a mixture of highly realistic details (the house and surroundings), and a comic style (the characters). Included are several wordless full-page spreads of George flying a toy airplane which on their own are worth the price of the book.

If you can, buy the new large format of the book (November 2000 edition). The illustrations are much larger and the colors are more brilliant. The illustrations were probably rephotographed since the original edition is back from 1987 or so.
Well, enjoy this book and happy shrinking!

I can't say enough about the illustrations by William Joyce. Somehow he has captured the simplicity and innocence of a child. It is a fun book because even though the character has awakened one morning only 3 inches tall, he still goes about doing his chores and having fun. Every chore is an adventure. His illustrations are soothing and not an onslaught to your eyes and the story is imaginative.

This book, especially the child size version-- perfect for little hands, was charming from the moment I picked it up, months before my child was even a twinkle in my eye. Now she is two years old, and she never tires of reading her favorite bedtime story. She can now recite the story verbatim. The illustrations are remarkable and my child can spend hours talking about the small details in the pictures that leave me marveling at both the illustrator and my toddler. I hope everyone has a chance to enjoy this book as much as we do.

I will give this book George Shrinks 5 stars. I do like this book because it is action pack and it is kind of funny because a boy that small can do all his chores.I do recomend the book to people that have a sense of humor.I think this book is for all ages.

For anyone who is not yet aware of the wonderful world ofWilliam Joyce, this is a great book to start you on your way.Brilliant illustrations and a wonderful story make this book a children's book classic. Just imagine what you'd do if you woke up one morning and you had shrunk to the size of a mouse. Follow George as he has to cope with this problem and get through an average day.

A wonderful "little" book of adventure in childhood.

George finds himself alone at home with a list of things to be done before his parents return. Discovering that, just as he had dreamed, he is the size of a furry field mouse, George goes about finding clever ways to accomplish the items on the list.

This turns out to be a fun adventure until he is spotted by the cat. Just as the cat begins to pounce and his parents walk around the corner George suddenly becomes full size again.

The vibrant illustrations add a dramatic effect to this delightful story. Share it with a child you love.

"One day, while his mother and father were out, George dreampt he was small, and when he woke up he found it was true."

So begins this delightful book written and illustrated by William Joyce. George then begins to tackle the "To Do" list his parents have left him, though the chores are now monumentally more difficult since he is only a few inches tall!

The text is spare, being primarily the parents' list of things to do. What makes the book special are the accompanying color illustrations that show George tackling each of the (usually trivial) tasks. Kids will love seeing the challenges of being really small.

Lots of fun.