Cowboy and Octopus
by Jon Scieszka
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jon ScieszkaIllustrator: Lane Smith
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-09-06
ISBN: 9780670910588
Number of pages: 40
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Book Reviews of Cowboy and Octopus
Book Review: Lassos and Tentacles
Summary: 5 Stars
The humor in this book is so sly and dry, it's actually kind of sophisticated, or (perish the thought!) intelligent. Contrast, for example, the kind of broad physical jokes that shows like SNL have largely resorted to in recent years...
I like to picture Scieska and Smith riffing about books such as the classic Frog and Toad Are Friends, then saying, "Wouldn't it be funny to do a book like that about a completely unlikely pairing?" Etc. I was amused by the professional reviewer who saw platitudes about friendship in here, as the couple of times a "platitude" is offered, it's either turned upside down a few pages later, or it's in such a tongue-in-cheek context as to become absurdist.
Anyway, the fact that Cowboy and Octopus never change expressions may seem a bit off-putting, except that the humor is equally deadpan. My favorite bits are probably the one about beans and bacon ("Chow Time") and the one about a knock-knock joke ("Who's There"), but I also liked the part about Octopus's Halloween costume ("Very Scary"). I have to wonder, though, how many kids will understand why Octopus thinks a rainy day is beautiful. I hope they do! Maybe a little conversation will help.
So, although I'm not sure this is the most accessible book out there, it's nice to have to think for a change, and I just got such a big kick out of Cowboy and Octopus! I'm glad to see that other readers are enjoying it as much as I did.
Summary of Cowboy and Octopus
Peanut butter and jelly. George and Martha. Frog and Toad. Cowboy and . . . Octopus? Yes, that?s right. Meet Cowboy and Octopus?the next great pair to become a household name. Cowboy likes beans?n?bacon and bacon?n?beans. Octopus eats raw seafood. Octopus prefers knock-knock jokes, but Cowboy doesn?t get them. How will these two ever be friends?
Illustrated in funky, vintage-style cut-outs and told in several humorous mini-stories, the famous Stinky Cheese Man duo of Scieszka and Smith have created sweet?and of course hilarious?tales of an unlikely friendship.
Watch a QuickTime trailer for this book.
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