Pinocchio: The Boy [Hardcover]

Lane Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 16, 2002 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Everyone in town knows Pinocchio, the puppet, but what about Pinocchio, the boy? From Lane Smith comes the story of what happens to Pinocchio on the very first day after his wish to be a real boy comes true. But there's one problem: Pinocchio was asleep at the time and he doesn't realize that he's now a boy! No one else in town recognizes him, either-not his talking cricket, not the audience in the puppet theater, and not even his father, Geppetto. Set in a town that's a winter wonderland, this stunningly illustrated sequel to a classic tale will appeal to children and adults alike.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Carlos Collodi's age-old Pinocchio story about the carver Geppetto's wooden puppet who comes to life is a bit unbelievable. Former puppet Pinocchio learns that the hard way when he hits the streets of Collodi in his new life as a flesh-and-blood boy in Lane Smith's thoroughly hip Pinocchio the Boy or Incognito in Collodi.

Smith, innovative illustrator of Jon Scieszka's The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Stories and at least 20 more books, picks up the Pinocchio story from the moment the puppet's wish is granted and he wakes up as a boy. The trouble is, the Blue Fairy grants his wish while he's sleeping--and then forgets to tell him! So the next day Pinocchio is very confused indeed when he heads out into the wintry day to get some chicken soup for feverish Geppetto and finds that his good friend the cricket won't even speak to him. On his way he encounters a girl who thinks the boy is very odd indeed, carrying on about talking bugs, growing noses, and a dad who's home sick after spending the night in a fish. As she says, "your other stories were hard enough to swallow, I wouldn't push it with that in-a-fish sleepover stuff."

To make a long story short, the skeptical girl's mother turns out to be the Blue Fairy, Geppetto is excited that his puppet son is a real live boy, and they all go ice skating at Collodi Rink. Smith's clever collage art--arranged in inventive comic-strip-style panels by designer Molly Leach--casts a modern new light on this sawdusty old tale. (Ages 6 and older) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly

Consummate jester Smith (Baloney [Henry P.]) revisits the classic tale of a misbehaving puppet, and needless to say, this ain't 19th-century Italy. Smith summarizes all of the Pinocchio story in two pages of 50s-retro cartoons, then zooms in for a gauzy close-up of the Blue Fairy changing the marionette into a flesh-and-blood boy. There's one minor glitch: "That nutty fairy had changed him while he was asleep," and Pinocchio doesn't look in the mirror when he wakes up. He's too preoccupied with poor Geppetto, who's "sick and wet from that fish's belly," and he needs to buy some chicken soup in Collodi City (a dense comic-book metropolis and a subtle reference to the original author, Carlo Collodi). Smith's playful subtitle begins to make sense. As a real boy, Pinocchio is persona non grata to his friend Cricket and gets booed offstage at "the puppet theater where just last week he was a Big Sensation." Luckily, he finds one friend, a bratty urchin with a surprise connection with his magical benefactor. In addition to providing a sumptuous visual presentation of the events, Smith's artwork places the adventures in an edgy modern space of steep angles and flat geometric planes, chockablock with shop signs, laser-sharp beams of light and cascading snowflakes and polka-dots. Pinocchio heads for home after hearing Geppetto's all-points-bulletin on TV, and eventually his father recognizes him without the wood-grain finish. Smith sidesteps the novel's moralizing and the movie's heartstring-pulling in this airbrush-sleek, sharply designed comic sequel. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile; First Edition edition (September 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670035858
• ISBN-13: 978-0670035854
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lane Smith is the author and/or illustrator of several award-winning books for children. He is a two-time winner of the Caldecott Honor for Grandpa Green (2012) and The Stinky Cheese Man (1993). Four of his books have won the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award and several of his books, including It's a Book, John, Paul George & Ben and Madam President have been New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestsellers. Mr. Smith has illustrated works by the likes of Bob Shea, Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, George Saunders, Judith Viorst, Florence Parry Heide, Jack Prelutsky and Eve Merriam. Some of his most popular books are with frequent collaborator, Jon Scieszka. Mr. Smith lives in Connecticut with his wife Molly Leach, an award-winning graphic designer.
www.lanesmithbooks.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Story Continues....., November 20, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pinocchio: The Boy (Hardcover)

"Last week in a nutshell..." So begins Lane Smith's delightfully manic tale of what happened next. After a speedy recap of Pinocchio's exploits from the original story, Mr Lane ends his introduction with: And so, with a wave of her wand, the Blue Fairy granted this wish and turned the wooden puppet Pinocchio into a real boy. But he had no idea! That nutty fairy had changed him while he was asleep." That belly of the whale incident has left Geppetto pretty sick. So Pinocchio sets out early the next morning towards beautiful downtown Collodi to buy his dad some chicken soup. He doesn't know he's a real boy, and no one from his past, Cricket, puppetmaster, shopkeeper, even his own father doesn't seem to recognize him now that he's flesh and blood. But soon a little girl enters the picture, and that's when all the fun begins..... Mr Smith's spare and irreverent text is entertaining and engaging. But it's his bold, bright, and busy collage artwork that really steals the show. Each stunning illustration is filled with vibrant color, dazzling wit and playful humor, and children will want to stop, linger, and explore before turning the page. With an appropriate, fairy tale happily-ever-after ending, Pinocchio The Boy is a marvelous visual feast, and an updated, fun-filled romp youngsters 4-8 won't want to miss.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Enjoyable Book!, February 18, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Pinocchio: The Boy (Hardcover)

We think that Pinocchio: The Boy, written and illustrated by Lane Smith, is a very enjoyable book to read. It has great illustrations made by collages. You probably should read it by yourself, because there are lots of little illustration details that you'd never notice if you read it out loud. We give Pinocchio a hundred million stars! It's a little different from the real Pinocchio story. This book is more like a sequel to Pinocchio. The story is about a blue fairy who turns Pinocchio into a real boy, But when he wakes up, he sees that his owner is sick. Pinocchio travels all over town to look for soup for Geppetto. This book could be enjoyed by all ages. Eve, Holly, Tyeler, Kate and Elizabeth all enjoyed it!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This book was a big let down, February 5, 2010

By 

Momof2inFL (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pinocchio: The Boy (Hardcover)

I have tried several times to read this to my 4 year-old. We are major book lovers & there are hundreds of kids books in our home. This book (by far) is the worst book in our collection. The cadence is really off & the words do not flow.

The illustrations are fun & funky, but not really geared towards young children. Overall, it's not a good book.