The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
Familiar tales are shortened, scrambled and openly argued over by Jack, the Little Red Hen and other characters. Lane Smith’s typography and page design join the narrator in breaking the book’s rules.
- First published
- 1992
- Reading stage
- Picture books & shared reading
Reading this with your child
Bring one source tale
Before a parody such as “Cinderumpelstiltskin” or “The Really Ugly Duckling,” recall the expected plot. The humor depends on seeing exactly which promise, moral or ending has been sabotaged.
Follow the book as a character
Notice the contents page, title pages, type size and characters who enter the wrong section. Ask what a conventional book would do at each point and how this object refuses.
Read disorder without rushing
The abrupt transitions and competing voices can overwhelm a new listener. Share two or three tales at a time and let the child trace recurring arguments rather than forcing a cover-to-cover sitting.
Compare before choosing: Both revisit fairy-tale characters through book design, but Scieszka dismantles narrative conventions while the Ahlbergs build an orderly postal route of removable documents. View the comparison title →
Oh, the Places You'll Go!
The Rainbow Fish
Guess How Much I Love You
The Very Quiet Cricket