The Great Paper Caper (Hardcover)

~ Oliver Jeffers (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jefferss (The Incredible Book-Eating Boy) forest creatures have dots for eyes and sticks for legs; they live in tidy holes in the ground, equipped with home offices and washing machines. Responsible citizens, they notice that trees in their forest are missing big branches, and organize themselves to find the perpetrator—readers know from the outset its the bear, in need of paper for a paper airplane contest. The drama unfolds in neatly paced vignettes and comic book–style panels with the rounded corners of old television sets. Jeffers joins the speech balloons to his characters mouths with ruled pencil lines; his spidery writing is a sweetly incongruous vehicle for fast-moving patter (Ill be the detective and you can be the judge, the beaver tells the deer. Why do I have to be the judge? the deer protests, and waves a hoof toward the pig. Why not him? Im the prosecutor, thats why, says the pig). The conclusion nods toward forgiveness and restorative justice, but its the anti-crime tape that gets the laughs. Jeffers lobs a joke or two over the heads of young listeners, a gesture that will be welcomed by presiding adults. Ages 3–5. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3—There's something amiss in the forest, as branches are mysteriously disappearing. At first, the animal friends accuse one another but when alibis pan out, they realize that they have a thief on their hands. Setting out to solve the mystery, they discover that the bear has been stealing branches and making them into not-very-good paper airplanes for a competition. After a short trial, he confesses and agrees to replant the trees he has destroyed, and the other critters help him reuse the wasted paper to create a prizewinning entry. Managed forestry is the theme of this book that features folk-art-style animals with funny little stick legs. The mixed-media illustrations nicely complement the spare yet eloquent text. Though this clever title may need hand-selling to readers, teachers will welcome it for lessons on the environment.—Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Philomel (January 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399250972
• ISBN-13: 978-0399250972
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #106,813 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If a bear fells a tree in the woods, does it make a sound?, January 22, 2009

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Oliver Jeffers is an odd duck. This is a statement that should surprise no one. The man simply has a very distinctive way of looking at the world. Labeling his style doesn't seem to work either. For a while there he was sort of the average-boy-meets-small-friendly-creature author/illustrator thanks to Lost and Found and The Way Back Home. But then you have his other titles to contend with. His How to Catch a Stars. His The Incredible Book-Eating Boys. I often find that I can fill up these reviews simply by comparing a certain author/illustrator to similar artists working in similar fields. Unfortunately for me, if Jeffers has been unduly influenced by one artist or another, I'm sorry but I can't figure out who that might be. Oliver Jeffers is, as I have said before, an odd duck. And we wouldn't have him any other way. The Great Paper Caper is proof enough of that.

There is a mystery lurking in these woods. It started small enough. Local forest denizens hardly even noticed when the first branches of their trees started to disappear. When the trees themselves started to go, however, it was time to do some serious detective work. At long last something was found near a crime scene; a paper airplane. A paper airplane with the paw prints of the local bear all over it. And sure as shooting when the animals check it out they see that the bear has been turning a plethora of wood into paper airplanes in a vain attempt to live up to the paper airplane stardom of his ancestors. After a full confession and an outpouring of sincere regret the bear is sentenced to a replanting of the trees and his fellow animals find a way to help him come to terms with his paper airplane legacy.

Stories of industrious lumberjack bears do not initially sound particularly British. Close inspection of Jeffers's illustrations (and they all deserve close inspection, you know) show that the man is prone to particularly British moments. Note the judge's wig. Or the red telephone booth into which the other animals climb. These all are merely indicative of Jeffers's love of tiny details. Since he's not an intricate artist like Peter Sis there's a temptation to write off the art of Jeffers as straightforward and plain. Take a closer look at the book, however, and all kinds of tiny slights and thought out whiffs of detail catch the eye. Things like the bear's Mark Spitz-ish ancestor who was a paper airplane winner in 1972. Or, even more subtle, the final image where the bear merrily water a tree, a single bare light bulb glowing in his trailer, not thirty yards away.

Going back to the style of the artist, Jeffers has always had a weakness for critters and creatures that toddle about on two thin stick-like legs. He avoided it with the penguin in Lost and Found, which was only right since penguins are meant for waddling, not toddling. Generally it is a look that has suited his small animals and people quite well. So it was strange to look through this book a second time and see that the bear, of all creatures, also sports a pair of legs that resemble nothing so much as a pair of well-spaced dowel rods. And while that might be considered distracting to some you really don't notice it, apart from that image on the cover. An unexpected look, certainly, but one that fits within the rest of the book without any problems.

I do appreciate that the bear doesn't actually, y'know, WIN or anything at the end. Jeffers ends the book on a note of triumph that doesn't actually say, "and then the bear won the contest." In the end, all the other animals recycle the bear's discarded, defunct airplanes and turn them into a humungous airplane (love the fact that it's still lined paper) and he rides it in style to the finish line. Which is all well and good, but that fortunately isn't the same thing as saying that he actually won or anything. I mean, it's pretty clear from the get-go that the bear is a lamentable paper airplane pilot. His creations fail with a kind of unceasing certainty that is somewhat reassuring in this crazy madcap universe we live in. If he were to suddenly win of his own accord or, worse, thanks to his new friends' intervention, that would be despicable. As it stands, Jeffers takes the clever middle road and all is well and right with the world.

The book doesn't have quite the same emotional grip of Lost and Found, Jeffers's best book to date. However, there is much to be said for a picture book as thoroughly amusing and enjoyable as this. If you happen to be in need of a good winter mystery, particularly one that the small tots reading with you will be able to solve on their own, I can't think of a better title to hand you. Purely enjoyment from start to finish.

5.0 out of 5 stars Airplanes soaring through the sky, January 25, 2010

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Great Paper Caper (Paperback)

THERE IS AN AIRPLANE CONTEST IN TOWN! Well, in the book at least. It seems that an undercover bear has a plan to win. Meanwhile groups of forest animals are suspicious, branches on trees are disappearing. This leads them to an investigation. No matter how hard they try, no clues can be found in the whole forest. In a little house, the bear is making blue prints of paper airplanes. I would like to tell you the rest but that would very much give it away. I don't think anyone would like to read this book anymore.
Oliver Jeffers, he is very creative. The Incredible book eating boy. Who would think of that? Oliver Jeffers, of course. His imagination grows right before our eyes! My opinion, why on earth would you pass up any of his books? It is a gift to have an imagination like his. His books seem to have that fun sort if theme to them.
These Drawings, they're AMAZING. What I like about them the most is the humor. Most people like to laugh, so why not read this book? I mean, a group of animals are trying to figure out a crime scene. They even set up a whole inspection! I suggest you read this book. Like I said, who wouldn't?--Sara D. (5th Grader)

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a perfect book for your budding amateur sleuth!, May 21, 2009

By	D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

This review is from: The Great Paper Caper (Paperback)

Everyone was nestled beneath the ground in their forest homes keeping busy and minding their own business, but when they all got together they noticed that there were some odd things going on. Beaver noticed that some of the branches had been hacked from the trees and that didn't set right with him, nor the rest of the crowd. Soon they started to blame each other. The beaver, the goose, the pig, the little girl and the owl were soon at odds with one another. Something would have to be done to solve this mystery or there would be big trouble!

Someone was stealing the branches, but it wasn't anyone they knew. Poor owl went to land on a branch during the night and PLOP . . . he landed right on his head. They all branched out to work on this crime. "An investigation was launched to get to the bottom of things." Meanwhile, the branches kept disappearing, but something else was showing up. Paper airplanes. "Then an eyewitness report led them to some evidence that had blown in not far away." A moose had seen a paper airplane flying in the forest. What could this mean? Would the forest crowd be able to solve this perplexing mystery?

This is a fun, quirky little mystery that the budding detective between the ages of four and seven will certainly enjoy. This beginning whodunit would be a perfect circle time or homeschool read-aloud book and will generate a bit of excitement as the children try to guess who the culprit is and the mystery behind the vanishing branches. In the endpages there is a guide to making a paper airplane, but younger children will need some help with this activity. This is a perfect book for your budding amateur sleuth!