Customer Reviews

Yo-yo Man

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

 

 

Whatever one may think of the "values" presented here, the 1* review does not do justice to the superior writing and story-telling ability of Daniel Pinkwater. A Pinkwater book, whether in one of his bear series (with his spouse, Jill Pinkwater) such as "Two Bad Bears" or the "Larry" books, or one of his stand-alone books ("Mr. Plumbean") is instantly recognizable for the casual but tightly constructed, concise sentences, nonsensical, throwaway humor, and dry wit. That alone puts him way above other kids' authors.

Here, we have a Simpsons' (the TV show, and movie) like fantasy featuring a school bully, a fearsome teacher, an average-joe protagonist, and a flashy yo-yo master who does amazing tricks and also shills for the local toy store. It may not be your ideal educational setting, but the feelings--fear, loathing, jealousy, pride, preservation--seem real enough in what's very recognizable as a farce. Oh, perhaps a pre-schooler (the beginning of the recommended age range) wouldn't "get" it, but someone in 1st through 3rd or 4th grades certainly would.

Our unnamed protagonist is at the mercy of "cinnamon,-Red-HOts-candy-sucking Richard Newton, the oversized bully with the third grade skill of asking smaller kids, "Who is your master," while twisting their arms. Jack Davis' drawing of Newton epitomizes his big, sloppy, overblown style. Like the other kids, he' got a red nose and cheeks, his hair flails about and he has big teeth with gapong holes--there's no subtlety here. Usually I'm not a fan of this kid of loutish drawing, preferring something more "artistic" and softer, with more distinguishable backgrounds and foregrounds. However, somehow this in-your-face style suits the playground and classroom imagery here, a jungle of peer and teacher threats that also seem larger than life.

It turns out that while Newton is a phsical terror, he is a yo-yo wimp. When Ramon the yo-yo master declares a prize for the best yo-yoer, Newton is all strings, and our protagonist, through such traditional values as hard work and persistence, becomes a yo-yo whiz. As icing on the cake, he decides:

"And for good measure, I am going to memorize more spelling words than anyone else, ad make mincemeat out of Mrs. Mousetrap."

OK, so his motivation is not altruistic, but he does build some self-esteem ("I am the best speller in third grade," "Everyone admires me, I am a true yo-yo man"), and Newton stops picking on him. That Newton seems to pick on other kids instead is either cause for alarm, or just the way of the jungle. In fact, the last scene shows our "true yo-yo man" receiving the promised golden yo-yo, with "realistic diamonds on each side," young Newton and the other kids cheering in the background. While it's not my favorite Pinkwater book, it's a fun story, with fine writing, suspense, and a likeable hero.

You might want to think of this as the "lowbrow" side of Pinkwater's work (see also, for example, "The Picture of Morty and Ray," also by this pair). However, as my nephew the deconstructionist tells me, the dichotomy between high- and low-brow is a false one. At any rate, if this book makes your youngster smile, enjoy reading, and perhaps recognize both the reality and the exaggeration of their own experience, it may have the kind of positive, educational value that all of us can support.

This was my first time reading a Pinkwater book. I got it from my local library. This suburban mom was laughing more than she probably ever has at a children's book. I highly recommend this book. The premise and the phrases are so funny. I did read it twice before returning it, and I'll admit that I didn't get quite as tickled the second time, but who does? Lines like "yo-yo no go" and "Ramon" the world yo-yo champ were just the laugh I really needed. When you read it I recommend rolling your r's in Rrrrrrramon for even more fun.

As for the other reviewer's worry about an upswing on all that's wrong in elementary school, I didn't really get that. When I saw the bully subject brought up in the beginning of the book, I may have been a little worried about introducing this to my 5 year old, but it all comes full circle in the end and the bully loses his effect on the protagonist. A+

What a missed opportunity from one of our most creative children's writers! All that is so wrong about school life - teasing (without any attempt to look at the reasons a child would resort to such behavior and without any apparent concern or intervention by the teacher), intimidating lessons (without any recognition that children learn best by asking, not answering questions), commercial exploitation of innocent children for money (with no comment, satirical or other, about this ubiquitous, crass and unfair business), learning a subject only to placate a frightening teacher, not because the child is interested or needs the information at the present time in his life (with no recognition that children learn best what they actually need to know at the time for their own use - information that has intrinsic, not extrinsic value).

Daniel, if you're reading this, I invite you to visit the Natural Child Project and read our articles on learning - and then write a book that can truly benefit children, not uphold the status quo of a failing system.

For a delightful read, see the wonderful TOOTH - GNASHER SUPERFLASH (Reading Rainbow), a triumph of whimsical nonsense that shows Pinkwater at his creative best.

Jan Hunt, Director, The Natural Child Project; Author of The Natural Child: Parenting from the Heart and A Gift for Baby - Un Regalo Para Bebe; co-editor of The Unschooling Unmanual