Gullible's Travels [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Steve Allen (Author), Jayne Meadows (Narrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

This title is suitable for children of ages 6 to 12years. It explores prejudice and intolerance in a tale featuring such characters as 'Betty Bias', 'Irving Ego' and 'Hal Hatred. Its approximate running time is 60 minutes.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-6. The venerable Steve Allen has put out a cassette that is so preachy, so dense, and which has such a muddled sense of purpose that it is hard to imagine a context in which it can be used. The story, featuring characters played by Allen and Jayne Meadows, starts out as a cautionary tale against intolerance. Allen then takes us into a complex explanation of the workings of the human brain in a wildly circuitous attempt to show that prejudice is learned behavior. His story is told entirely from the viewpoint of an adult, and characters reflect adult attitudes. For example, if the purpose is to teach children tolerance, why does he introduce the word "wop," a racial epithet that many children may not have heard? Though the tape is recommended for 6-12 year olds, the vocabulary and material are beyond the average kindergartener, what passes for a plot moves too fast, the characters are sketchily drawn at best, and the length is daunting. The few forgettable songs (played in a style reminiscent of Bill Murray at his lounge lizard tackiest) won't appeal to children of any age. Pass on this one.
Peggy J. Latkovich, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Gullible is an easy target for enemy Invalid Argument: he's likeable and easily led and lacks reasoning powers. Parents may use this pointed allegory to teach kids ages 6-12 of the dangers of following others. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573920290
• ISBN-13: 978-1573920292
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,845,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars so "kids won't like this"? my nieces (8 & 5) LOVE it!, April 28, 2003

By 

K GLADSTONE "Kate Gladstone, the Handwriting ... (Albany, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gullible's Travels (Audio Cassette)

The first editorial review wants me to believe that kids won't like and can't understand this tape. Fortunately, I read that review AFTER buying it for my nieces (age 5 and 8). They LOVE the tape, they play it almost daily, and they (and I) have learned A LOT from it! They particularly enjoyed and absorbed Steve's explanation of how brains work - to which the first reviewer strongly objected - as well as his material on observation versus inference (an important topic which, as far as I know, *no* other children's book or tape covers in a way that children can understand).