What Is A Wise Bird Like You Doing In A Silly Tale Like This? [Hardcover]

Uri Shulevitz (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

A healthy dose of nonsense from the Caldecott medalist

Uri Shulevitz has taken on the tricky task of weaving several nonsensical stories together into one picture book, and the result is both magical and hilarious. Set in the empire of Pickleberry, which boasts a population of 26 1/2 citizens, the tales revolve around a parrot named Lou, the emperor, his twin brother the janitor/ambassador, a traveling salesman, and a bear who loses his tail as a result of an earthquake caused when the invisible half-citizen of Pickleberry dropped a saucer. Confused? That's the point. But behind the delightful absurdity are a few dollops of wisdom. Incorporating collage in his buoyant pictures, Uri Shulevitz continues to show himself as one of the major innovators and most talented author/illustrators in the field of children's books.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this engaging bit of frippery, Shulevitz takes a walk on the nonsensical side, concocting a tall tale about the inhabitants of Pickleberry. The Emperor and his twin brother, the janitor, share the kingdom with 26 and a half citizens ("The half was an invisible fellow with a big mustache whom everyone knew and who spoke in half words") and a talking bird named Lou ("a genius of a bird"). Fed exotic delicacies such as "caramel crisp with tamatar, badam, shalgam, zafran, mari, curry, and adrak," Lou is treated better than the Emperor's brother, who is eventually made "part-time ambassador for extraordinary missions" and sent shopping in a faraway land. He runs into Lou's Aunt Millie, who helps Lou escape, triggering a series of events that winds up with a tale-within-a-tale as Lou regales his aunt with the story of how the janitor got the best of his greedy brother. The silliness referenced in the title reigns supreme here; with a nod to Lear, the author squeezes pleasure out of invented words and tongue twisters, often with a visual twist (such as images of the half-citizen throwing down his half cup's invisible saucer and causing an earthquake). Shulevitz's sunny watercolors range from beautifully detailed vignettes to puckish cartoons (including a picture of the "National DessertAPickle Pudding" on the endpapers), ratcheting up the enjoyment factor. Ages 4-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Two stories within a story add up to a delicious romp from this versatile author/illustrator. The village of Pickleberry consists of four-and-a-half acres of land and a population of 26 and a half (the half citizen resides on the border between Pickleberry and neighboring Cackleberry). The Emperor of Pickleberry has a twin brother, a janitor whose sage advice he routinely ignores. The ruler also has a talking bird named Lou, renowned for his intelligence, with whom he consults daily on matters of state. However, Lou is unhappy about being confined in a cage until he uses his wits (and the clever advice of his Aunt Millie) to escape. Alas, he falls into the clutches of a greedy salesman who calculates the value of a talking bird but loses his chance to cash in while listening to Lou's convoluted nonsense tale. Free at last, he joins Aunt Millie and begins at the beginning with another account, this of a man who had twin sons, one destined to become the emperor and the other a janitor whose cunning gains for him their father's coveted candlestick. Shulevitz's wacky tale is told both through traditional text and dialogue balloons abounding in sly wit. The art is a visual feast, varying in format and scale from full-page illustrations to multiple vignettes, drenched in blues, greens, golds, and ochers. Richly textured, stylized drawings feature tiny details that add to the fun. This is a book to pore over, relish, and enjoy again and again.
Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (September 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374383006
• ISBN-13: 978-0374383008
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,437,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous!, March 4, 2001

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Is A Wise Bird Like You Doing In A Silly Tale Like This? (Hardcover)

What do you get when you take a strange land called Pickleberry, inhabited by an emperor and his brother, the janitor, a very wise bird named Lou and Lou's, Aunt Millie, a half invisible man with half a large mustache, a traveling salesman and a bear who's lost his tail? Easy...a charming, creative, laugh-out-loud picture book by award winning author and illustrator, Uri Shulevitz. And Mr Shulevitz has done just about the impossible, woven three seemingly unrelated nonsensical stories together and made it work. His wonderfully absurd text, full of imagery, made-up words and wild, ridiculous events is only outdone by his truly inspired and magical artwork and youngsters will be mesmerized by the colorful, detailed, expressive illustrations. What is a Wise Bird Like You Doing in a Silly Tale Like This? is a very special story, really three special stories, that's perfect for children aged 4 and older. Uri Shulevitz never disappoints and he's not starting now!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High praise from a lover of all things silly, October 24, 2003

By 

S. Weisweaver (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Is A Wise Bird Like You Doing In A Silly Tale Like This? (Hardcover)

The little gnomish people on the front cover encouraged me to open it up, and I was pleasantly rewarded with a tale that is as engaging as the colorful illustrations. The tale is indeed silly, with a few tales of its own tucked inside. I liked the way that Shulevitz didn't villainify the emperor - I find that most children's books have a clearly defined "bad" and "good," and Shulevitz allows children to see the traditional "bad guy" character as a person who has some flaws rather than evil incarnate. Great imaginative use of words. Most importantly, this book answers the question that has plagued mankind for centuries: "If one had an itch on a Sunday at 3:16 in the afternoon, should one scratch with the third finger of the right hand or with the second finger of the left hand?" You'll have to read the book to find out what answer this wise bird gives.