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The Sweetest Fig Hardcover – Bargain Price, October 25, 1993

by Chris Van Allsburg (Author)

4.8 325 ratings

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"These figs are very special," the woman whispered. "They can make your dreams come true." -- Thus Monsieur Bibot, the cold-hearted dentist, was given two ordinary-looking figs as payment for extracting a tooth from an old woman's mouth. Monsieur Bibot refused to believe such nonsense and proceeded to eat one of the figs for a bedtime snack. Although it was possibly the finest, sweetest fig he had ever tasted, it wasn't until the next morning that Monsieur Bibot realized it indeed had the power to make his dreams come true. While dragging his poor dog, Marcel, out for his walk, he discovered that his strange dream from the night before was becoming all too real. Determined to make good use of the second fig, Monsieur Bibot learns to control is dreams. But can he control Marcel? Once again Chris Van Allsburg explores the mysterious territory between fantasy and reality in an uncanny tale that will intrigue readers of all ages.

Reading age

5 - 10 years
From customers
Length

32
Pages
Language

EN
English
Grade level

Kindergarten - 3
Lexile measure

AD720L
Dimensions

8.5 x 0.1 x 11.0
inches
Publisher

Clarion Books
Publication date

1993
October 25
ISBN-10

0395673461
ISBN-13

978-0395673461
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From the Publisher


	The Polar Express	Jumanji	The Garden of Abdul Gasazi	The Stranger	Zathura
Read More Books by Chris Van Allsburg	Take a ride aboard the Polar Express in this award-winning, classic holiday story, perfect for every child’s library.	Over thirty years ago, Peter and Judy first found the game—Jumanji—with the instructions that once the game is started, it must be finished or it will go on forever—and it was then, with this same wonderment, readers found Jumanji, too.	In this extraordinary, unusual, and unique picture book, Chris Van Allsburg explores both the real and surreal worlds with incredible deftness.	The enigmatic origins of the stranger that Farmer Bailey hits with his truck and brings home to recuperate seem to have a mysterious relation to the weather. Could he be Jack Frost?	The story of the boy and his obsession to become the world’s greatest sailor, and a storm that carried them to a place where boats sail on the wind, instead of on the water.


	The Widow's Broom	The Sweetest Fig	Just a Dream	Zathura	The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
	The enchanting story of a widow who finds herself in possession of an extraordinary broom after a witch falls into her garden.	Once again Chris Van Allsburg explores the mysterious territory between fantasy and reality in an uncanny tale that will intrigue readers of all ages.	Young Walter litters and refuses to sort trash for recycling until he dreams of an overcrowded and polluted future which terrifies him into taking care of the earth.	The companion to Jumanji—a tale of intergalactic adventure and sibling rivalry where a roll the dice transports two brothers to the mythical land of Zathura.	Chris Van Allsburg challenges young readers to use their creativity and imagination in this one-of-a-kind book that asks readers to finish the story.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Van Allsburg swings back into his most mystifying mode with this enigmatic, visually sophisticated tale of Monsieur Bibot, a "very fussy" French dentist who is given a pair of magic figs as a form of payment by an impoverished patient. The fruit, he's told, has the power to make dreams come true. The pragmatic Bibot scoffs at this, of course, but learns otherwise after eating one. Accordingly, he makes plans to use the second fig to become the richest man on earth (and to ditch Marcel, his oppressed terrier, for a string of Great Danes). The images in the book are unsettling, even ominous: Bibot lurking in a doorway with a rolled-up newspaper, ready to punish Marcel; Bibot gleefully clutching a pair of pliers as he prepares to extract an old woman's tooth; a frowning Bibot standing, fists clenched in anger, as his patient offers him the figs instead of cash. The dentist is a thoroughly unsympathetic character; readers will rejoice when the long-suffering Marcel gobbles the second magic fig and, in a poetically just ending, reverses the master-slave relationship. The sepia-toned illustrations are classic Van Allsburg, offering a visual study that is downright psychological; the artwork's spare lines and clean surfaces reflect the obsessively orderly Bibot's nature. Adults will appreciate Van Allsburg's acuity, while many children will relish the darker aspects of his story. A significant achievement. All ages.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up-Another quietly bizarre and stunning picture book from Van Allsburg. In this modern fairy tale, a Parisian dentist (a prissy and sadistic man who even hates his own dog) is given two magic figs by an old woman who tells him, "'They can make your dreams come true.'" Bibot scoffs. However, after the first fig proves to do exactly that (in a scene in which the dentist walks down the street in his underwear, and then the Eiffel Tower droops over), he realizes how precious they are. Night after night, he hypnotizes himself into dreaming that he is the richest man on earth. Finally, he prepares to eat the second fig. But his dog, Marcel, beats him to it, and the following morning, the dentist wakes up as the helpless pup under a bed, with his own face calling to him, "'Time for your walk. Come to Marcel.'" The Sweetest Fig is a superb blend of theme, language, and illustration, with a very grabbing plot as well. The writing is formal yet direct, using simple, deliberate vocabulary to match the elegant setting and mood. The shades of gray, cream, and brown and the calm, stable design enhance this mood. The angle at which readers view scenes is always intriguing and heightens their involvement. Most children old enough to read this complex book on their own will be fascinated and will return to it again and again. Van Allsburg at his best.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3 and up. Van Allsburg's astonishing picture book quietly reveals the uproar beneath the most orderly facade. The protagonist is a villain: that contemporary image of respectability, a dentist. He's neat and very fussy--spectacles, bow tie, receding hairline, pinky finger bent as he eats. And he's cruel ("If his dog, Marcel, jumped on the furniture, Monsieur Bibot was sure to teach him a lesson"). Everything seems extra controlled, in place, fixed, confined. Then comes the torture scene: an old woman with a toothache begs Bibot for help, and, smiling with relish, he holds her down in the dentist's chair and wrenches out her tooth with steel pliers. She can't pay--we see that she's wild-haired and homeless--but she gives him two figs. "They can make your dreams come true," she tells him. Furious, fists clenched, he shoves her out the door and refuses to give her pills for pain. That night he delicately eats one of the figs, and the next day he finds himself walking on the crowded sidewalk in his underwear: what he dreamed, his nightmare, has come true. What's more, the Eiffel Tower has drooped over, and he remembers that he dreamed that, too. Then, determined to take control, he hypnotizes himself to dream of power and wealth and prepares to eat the second fig.

The small white dog that's in the background of almost every Van Allsburg book here takes center stage, but you don't realize it at first. Quiet and long-faced, Marcel is confined by furniture and steep steps, held by collar and leash, watching from the floor as his master eats, always seen from behind or above. But when the master prepares to eat the second fig and dream his heart's desire, there's a dramatic reversal. The man turns his back; the dog rises up from the floor and gobbles the fig. The next morning the two are on the floor, but the man is the dog, and it's Marcel who orders, "Time for your walk."

The detailed, soft-textured pictures in shades of brown and white have the appearance of framed sepia photographs, with dramatic close-ups as well as an extraordinary sense of depth. Their realistic use of light and changing perspective makes the fantasy story an integral part of the everyday. The surreal view of the tower and its sharp antenna, bent over toward Bibot like a dentist's drill, shocks you into realizing that you've always known it could do that, that this most permanent of soaring landmarks also appears fragile and strange. Van Allsburg's vision makes you aware of what you didn't know you feared.

Children will recognize the terror, the mystery, and the delicious dream of reversal. It depends on how you see it: your nightmare may be my dearest wish. Hazel Rochman

From Kirkus Reviews

Marcel has the misfortune of belonging to a totally self- absorbed, repressive, and humorless Parisian dentist--one M. Bibot--who is without compassion for his dog (first seen menaced by a disciplinary newspaper) or his patients: he smirks with sadistic pleasure while extracting a tooth and withholds a painkiller from one sufferer when she offers, in lieu of money, two figs that ``can make your dreams come true.'' Still, when his dream does come true after he eats one fig (it's mortifying--he finds himself in his underwear in the street, while the Eiffel Tower ``droop[s] over as if it were made of soft rubber''), Bibot is filled with greedy anticipation; he's determined to dream a dream that will make him ``the richest man on earth.'' But justice remains poetic. Marcel snitches the other fig, and next morning Bibot discovers just what kind of vengeance the dog has chosen to exact. Children amused by the offbeat tale will probably miss its adult overtones, but Van Allsburg's soft, luminous illustrations, in warm tones of brown refined with deeper grays, should please everyone. His precisely rounded caricature of the dentist is as merciless as the supercilious man himself, while the masterful play of patterns--elegant Parisian stonework glimpsed from a roomful of antiseptic modern furniture, the tower pointing down at the fleeing dentist, the short-legged dog struggling against a taut leash on a polished stair--is delightful. Rather wickedly clever, but fun. (Picture book. 4+) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

"Van Allsburg swings back into his most mystifying mode with this enigmatic, visually sophisticated tale . . . A significant achievement." Publishers Weekly, Starred

From the Back Cover

"These figs are very special", the woman whispered. "They can make your dreams come true". Thus Monsieur Bibot, the cold-hearted dentist, was given two ordinary-looking figs as payment for extracting a tooth from an old woman's mouth. Monsieur Bibot refused to believe such nonsense and proceeded to eat one of the figs for a bedtime snack. Although it was possibly the finest, sweetest fig he had ever tasted, it wasn't until the next morning that Monsieur Bibot realized it indeed had the power to make his dreams come true. While dragging his poor dog, Marcel, out for his walk, he discovered that his strange dream from the night before was becoming all too real. Determined to make good use of the second fig, Monsieur Bibot learns to control his dreams. But can he control Marcel? Once again Chris Van Allsburg explores the mysterious territory between fantasy and reality in an uncanny tale that will intrigue readers of all ages.

About the Author

Chris Van Allsburg is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of a Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children’s literature. In 1982, Jumanji won the National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film. Chris Van Allsburg was formerly an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife and two children.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarion Books; Illustrated edition (October 25, 1993)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0395673461
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0395673461
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 5 - 10 years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD720L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ Kindergarten - 3
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.13 x 11 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #51,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #85 in Deals in Books
- #343 in Children's Sleep Issues
- #1,642 in Children's Fantasy & Magic Books

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4.8 325 ratings

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Chris Van Allsburg

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Chris Van Allsburg is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of a Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature. In 1982, Jumanji won the National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film. Chris Van Allsburg was formerly an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife and two children.

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Jean Madden

A lovely figgy story

Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2023

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One of my neighbors shares figs from her fig tree, each summer, which I adore. I usually purchase her an Italian fig cake for Christmas in thanks, but this year I thought I would upgrade to a children’s book with lovely illustrations. She doesn’t have any grandchildren yet, but she will eventually! It’s never too soon to begin collecting children’s literature. 😀

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2023

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Grandson liked it so did i

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2014

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Like all of Chris Van Allsburg's books,The Sweetest Fig asks a basic moral and philosophical question: Is it okay to treat others whom we consider to be "beneath" us with less respect than we treat those whom we want to like us? There are other lessons to be gleaned from this book but this is it's central idea. Older children (8,9,10)can explore the implications of their choices with adult prompts. For example, the adult could ask, "Are there some people we consider "beneath" us?" What traits or conditions in another person would make them "beneath" us?" (ie. their level of wealth, intelligence, ownership of things, age,place where they live, etc.)"What kinds of things do we do or say that would make those people understand that we consider them "below" us?" "What does the word 'respect' mean?" "Is it all right to show respect to some but not to others?" "Do we sometimes disrespect animals too?" "How did the dentist disrespect his dog?" "In your opinion, is that okay?" "What do you think Chris Van Allsburg thinks about respecting animals as well as people?" (All put into kid language, of course.)

I love the way Van Allsburg leaves the reader with both a feeling of satisfaction and yet an uneasiness that perhaps our own motives with others are not always so pure. And I love too, that adults can use his books as vehicles to help a child explore the implications of our behavior and to help a child begin to define his/her own character and personal philosophy, which, of course, is the development of the adult "self."

I am giving this book to my 9 year old great granddaughter who I think is ready to explore some of these questions.

8 people found this helpful

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A Customer

Amazing book!

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2021

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This book is so interesting I love it even as an adult! All kids should read this book. Its still one of my favorites and I love to read. My parents would never buy it for me when I was little because we were poor. So now that Im older, I bought it for my niece. I love how this book teaches to be nice to animals without being preachy. I have dogs and I love them so much. I hope my niece turns out to be a dog lover too. So far it seems like she is!

3 people found this helpful

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Stacy Sanders

Children LOVE This Book

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2021

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I've read this to countless elementary school students as well as my own two children. This book is a crowd-pleaser. The main character is not very nice and, frankly, it's fun to watch his own dog get one over on him. And like all books by Chris Van Allsburg, the art is superb.

3 people found this helpful

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Allison B.

Mentor text

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2022

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Great to use as a mentor text in my classroom to discuss characterization and plot twists. Teach 5-8 ELA and they all love this book.

One person found this helpful

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AR

Intriguing like any other Allsburg Classics

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2019

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Ha ha ha :) What more to write about this book than to say have the fig and you will know. The more we read Allsburg's stories the more we get to understand the complicated human natures. He depicts our vanities, and our wishes so well that even though these are kids books as adults we take away a lot from each of them. A great one again!

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2012

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Outstanding illustrations - very moody and almost a little dark which perfectly match the somewhat dark story. This story is not your typical feel good, do good childrens book - it definitely has a little dark side. I would not consider this a picture book for very young children but appropiate for children in first to second grade. It lends itself well to be read aloud by an adult with some commentary and discussion with the child. It has a definite " let's think about this" twist to it which benefits and may even require mindful adult support and guidance. It may not be appealing to a highly impressionable child prone to bad dreams.

8 people found this helpful

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Jennifer L. Bellinger

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on September 17, 2018

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Great story and great for teaching inferring!

dancingkangaroo

What an adorable story, with a lovely little lesson delivers with ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2017

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What an adorable story, with a lovely little lesson delivers with humour, not at all preachy. The illustrations take you back to another era, really lovely.

One person found this helpful

Sue

amazing story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2014

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amazing

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