| The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales | | | | be just a really ugly duckling. Similar plays on our |
| by Jon Scieszka Lane Smith Perhaps one of the most | | | | expectations occur in The Other Frog Prince, in which |
| unique picture books ever created this book is made | | | | the frog gets the princess to kiss him by telling her |
| up of differing farcical and humorous stories of | | | | that he is a prince. However rather then transform |
| various fairy tale stories. These stories begin oddly | | | | tells her he was just kidding and leaves her to wipe |
| enough on the end paper with an obnoxious and loud | | | | the slime off of her lips. |
| hen who yells at the narrator, who gets the hen to | | | | One could course ponder the social ramifications of |
| be quite by bringing in the title page in big bold letters. | | | | these stories as they do so often with fairy tales. |
| By utilizing the structure of the book as an actual | | | | The frog in the story leaves the princess to wipe the |
| story element, and by discusses this as a book the | | | | slime from their short lived relationship from her lips. |
| narrator adds a new level of humor and wit rarely | | | | This is the nature of most relationships; they end, |
| explored in picture books, though common in farces | | | | not with people even living together until death, but |
| of fairy tale stories. Though Scieszka and Smith add | | | | with divorce, or a break up long before anyone even |
| a new layer of playfulness to this, telling us that no | | | | thinks of marriage. In many cases there was no |
| one ever reads the acknowledgments and so they | | | | intention of staying together by one party or the |
| put these upside down, so if we want to read them | | | | other, rather the relationship was itself a farce, like |
| we can always stand on our head. This form of | | | | this fairy tale it was merely one party lying to the |
| communication appeals as much to older readers as | | | | other for the sole purpose of having the short lived |
| to young children, so it is not uncommon for people | | | | relationship. |
| who are in their twenties to talk about how funny | | | | Further one can question the nature of the original |
| they find this picture book. In some way's Smith and | | | | Ugly Duckling fairy tale as does to the Really Ugly |
| Scieszka's books all seem to appeal to older | | | | Duckling story. The story derives some of its humor |
| audiences, though they still send little kids into | | | | from the fact that we are all aware that most |
| irrepressible giggles. | | | | people will not grow to be swans; most people are |
| Part of the uniqueness of this book is its illustrations | | | | failures in achieving their dreams. The harsh reality is |
| which are certainly not cute, rather they are a form | | | | that the fairy tales moral does little to alleviate the |
| of modern art, often looking like cut out collages, the | | | | problem, why after all should children presume that |
| characters are warped, prompting children to | | | | someone would grow to be wonderful and great. |
| comment that Chicken Licken's eyes are wrong, or | | | | The truth is no such presumptions are normally forth |
| on some other part of the picture. This art works | | | | coming or justifiable. We must then find a way to be |
| well for a number of reasons, first it lets the reader | | | | nice despite the fact that someone will likely grow to |
| know instantly the unique nature of this picture book, | | | | be no better off, no different from they are at any |
| it is a warping of the story telling tradition in fairy | | | | given moment. |
| tales and picture books. Second having the art | | | | Certainly such readings of the stories goes beyond |
| warped helps to expose children to the often | | | | their initial purpose in humor, however what is funny |
| warped nature of modern art, such exposure helps | | | | within a society is based in part on the underlying |
| them expand their own understanding of the visual | | | | thoughts, events, and emotions of the society. The |
| languages. It is also important to realize that the | | | | Stinky Cheese Man relies on societies understanding |
| weird nature of the art in this book adds to the | | | | and thinking to be funny. For this reason though the |
| humorous nature of the stories within it. | | | | meaning of the stories may not have been direct |
| Once the book starts, with the first story of Chicken | | | | they do indeed tell us something about ourselves, |
| Licken, it descends into an almost chaotic verse, in | | | | and our emotional state, even as they provide insight |
| which the Narrator of the book repeatedly tries to | | | | into the fairy tales themselves. |
| get the attention of the overly excited characters in | | | | This is exemplified in the final page of the book when |
| this first story, until at last the Table of Contents falls | | | | the narrator Jack runs away from the giant leaving |
| and squishes all the characters. | | | | the hen to be eaten. Within the fairy tale story Jack |
| Later stories leave this interaction with the third wall | | | | was a very greedy person, robbing the giant many |
| and the books elements, relying on wry humor and | | | | times, much more then truly needed, and when the |
| surprises based on our understanding of the fairy tale | | | | giant attempts to punish him for the theft he kills the |
| stories which they farce. In the Ugly Duckling for | | | | giant. Deceit in fairy tales then is something to be |
| example the humor comes both from the look of the | | | | respected and this trend has come over into picture |
| ugly duckling ant the fact that The Ugly Duckling says | | | | books as well. |
| he will grow to be a swan but instead grows up to | | | | |