Amos & Boris
by William Steig
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Book Summary Information
Author: William SteigIllustrator: William Steig
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1992-09-01
ISBN: 0374403600
Number of pages: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Book Reviews of Amos & Boris
Book Review: Very wordy, disappointing denouement
Summary: 2 Stars
I saw all the positive reviews here, and bought Amos & Boris to read to my two-year-old. I am often disappointed in aspects of the stories in children's books, and having to read them over and over, stories that my son likes that have endings that bother me can really get to me, so I'm always looking for the good ones.
Amos & Boris is definitely over my two-year-old's head, but even from my perspective in reading it to him, I found the sentences wordy to the point of wearying, as another review mentioned, each one a very long breath. The concepts are rather complicated for a kids' book, as well.
And I also didn't like the inconsistency--some things, like what a mammal is, are explained, but other things, like what it means when a whale "sounds", are not (which considering that "sound" has another, more typical meaning, seems like it would help in the story).
It looks like there are many fans of this book, but I also find the ending completely untethered to the rest of the story, and it comes out of nowhere, which I tend to see in the less-good kid's books. It is also a very quick wrap-up compared to the dragged-out feeling the book has until that point, and just doesn't seem worth the journey.
From an adult reader's perspective, it's not as frustrating as some other children's books, but I would not recommend it, especially if you plan on reading it to your child.
Summary of Amos & Boris
Amos the mouse and Boris the whale: a devoted pair of friends with nothing at all in common, except good hearts and a willingness to help their fellow mammal. They meet after Amos sets out to sea in his homemade boat, the Rodent, and soon finds himself in extreme need of rescue. Enter Boris. But there will come a day, long after Boris has gone back to a life of whaling about and Amos has gone back to his life of mousing around, when the tiny mouse must find a way to rescue the great whale.
The tender yet comical story of this friendship is recorded in text and pictures that are a model of rich simplicity. Here, with apparent ease and concealed virtuosity, Caldecott medalist William Steig brings two winning heroes to life.
The tender yet comical story of this friendship is recorded in text and pictures that are a model of rich simplicity. Here, with apparent ease and concealed virtuosity, Caldecott medalist William Steig brings two winning heroes to life.
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