 | 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. |
Spinky Sulks
- By William Steig
- Genre: Family Life
Common Sense Media says
Gets inside sulking 8-year-old's head.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this reads like a transcript from an 8-year-old sulker's head.
What's the story?
Spinky gives a command performance--the sulk to end all sulks--in this tip of the hat to children's feelings from William Steig. What's a kid to do when his pride is trifled with? No sister of his is gonna call him Stinky, and Philadelphia is too the capital of Belgium. Spinky plays his funk like a maestro.
Is it any good?
Spinky is in what can only be described as a delicious sulk -- one a mile wide and deep as a rich man's pockets. He'll teach them that he's "a person with his own private thoughts and feelings, which they couldn't begin to appreciate." William Steig gets everything right: the syntax, the feelings, the expressions on the faces of the Spinkster and those trying to deprogram his funk. The look on his face when his pals come to cheer him up is positively murderous.
Though the artwork will steal your heart, it is the words that are spot-on and memorable: "His favorite grandma just happened to stop by with some of his favorite candy. She gave him a big fat hug, but Spinky went limp in her arms. After all, she still belonged to the human race, for which he no longer had any use."
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Spinky's sulk. Do you understand why he's so grumpy? Does anyone else? What can you do when you're in a sulking mood? Can anyone help you cheer up?
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.
| Author: | William Steig |
| Illustrator: | William Steig |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Family Life |
| Publisher: | Sunburst |
| Publication date: | January 1, 2000 |
| Number of pages: | 32 |
| Paperback price: | $6.95 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 4 - 7 |
Review It
Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already read it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
