 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Big Bob and the Thanksgiving Potatoes
- By Daniel Pinkwater
- Genre: Holiday
Common Sense Media says
Funny story regardless of the season.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that amusingly childish pictures and simple, if somewhat stilted language convey an entertaining story.
What's the story?
Second-graders Big Bob and Big Gloria are best friends. When their teacher asks the class to make turkey decorations for Thanksgiving, Big Bob and Big Gloria tell him they are vegetarians. His response? "Make Thanksgiving potatoes." Although written around a Thanksgiving theme, kids often want to read this funny, intelligent story, regardless of the season.
Is it any good?
In this funny, thought-provoking story, Bob mentions many disadvantages of being big that young readers may not have thought of, including the mean things other kids say. Author Daniel Pinkwater writes with humor and feeling, conveying Bob's difficulties in a way that will bring out children's empathy. Because Bob tells the story in first person, some readers may identify with him and learn to understand how he feels.
As a read-aloud, repetition and an odd avoidance of contractions sometimes make the language awkward, but most children reading to themselves will hardly notice. Jill Pinkwater's pictures are deceptively simple and have the look of something a talented child might draw. BIG BOB AND THE THANKSGIVING POTATOES encourages fluent and independent reading, and the book's excellent suggestions for helping your child before, during, and after reading the story will help you make the most of the experience.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about being different from the group. Bob stands out from his classmates because of his size and because he's vegetarian. Do you sometimes feel like the odd one out? How does that make you feel?
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| Author: | Daniel Pinkwater |
| Illustrator: | Jill Pinkwater |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Holiday |
| Publisher: | Bt Bound |
| Publication date: | May 1, 2000 |
| Number of pages: | 32 |
| Hardcover price: | $11.55 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 4 - 7 |
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