Flat Stanley

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Expressive writing and funny illustrations.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the restrained yet humorous writing style of this book enhances the over-the-top adventures. Kids will enjoy (the somewhat dated) illustrations of Stanley in his silly situations.


What's the story?

Flat as a pancake, smashed by a bulletin board, Stanley uses his new shape to gain attention, but he soon learns the downside of being different. Jeff Brown's sophisticated humor keeps adults entertained, while kids identify with Stanley's feelings and enjoy his adventures. The illustration style, though dated, is expressive and funny.


Is it any good?

 

Brown's understanding of childhood emotions is as highly tuned as his humorous, understated writing style: "Mr. Dart stood back a few feet and stared at him for a moment. 'Oh well,' he said, 'it may not be art, but I know what I like.'" Bjorkman's updated illustrations are more colorful, but some may find that they lack the wit and charm of Tomi Ungerer's originals.

The lesson about the perils of going to extremes for attention is subtly conveyed, as Stanley is teased and rejected by his peers and Mom delivers a heavy-handed lecture about accepting other's differences, including racial and religious ones. Younger siblings will relate to Arthur's jealousy, too.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about how Stanley handles his newfound fame. How does he react at first? What does he learn from it?


This review was written by Mary Dixon Weidler
Teen, 14 years old
April 21, 2011
 
??

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 16 years old
May 28, 2009
 
good
good

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 8 years old
April 25, 2012
 
Good Book

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Mary Dixon Weidler
Author:Jeff Brown
Illustrator:Steve Bjorkman
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Humor
Publisher:HarperTrophy
Publication date:December 31, 1969
Number of pages:58
Paperback price:$4.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):4 - 7

This review was written by Mary Dixon Weidler
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!


About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you read Flat Stanley?


Already read it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it