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Lane Smith
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The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales Hardcover – Picture Book, October 1, 1992

by Jon Scieszka (Author), Lane Smith (Illustrator)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 6,176 ratings
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A Caledecott Honor Book
A New York Times Best Illustrated Book

This award-winning picture book is a wild, irreverent collection of reimagined fairy tales from the author and illustrator of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!. Makes for an extremely fun and funny read-aloud for the whole family.

A long time ago, people used to tell magical stories of wonder and enchantment. Those stories were called Fairy Tales. Those stories are not in this book. The stories in this book are Fairly Stupid Tales.

In this fourth wall-breaking picture book, young readers will delight in the strange twists on familiar tales. From “The Stinky Cheese Man” to “Cinderummpelstiltskin” these unique, hilarious retellings poke fun at classic stories and characters. The wonderfully offbeat and bizarre illustrations, as well as innovative play with typography and book design, make for a one-of-kind masterpiece from two powerhouse children’s book creators.

Story List:
· Chicken Licken
· The Princess and the Bowling Ball
· The Really Ugly Duckling
· The Other Frog Prince
· Little Red Running Shorts
· Jack's Bean Problem (including Giant Story / Jack's Story)
· Cinderummpelstiltskin (Or The Girl Who Really Blew It)
· The Tortoise and the Hair
· The Stinky Cheese Man
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    4 - 8 years, from customers
  2. Part of series
    Caldecott Honor Book
  3. Print length
    56 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    Preschool - 2
  6. Lexile measure
    520L
  7. Dimensions
    9 x 0.44 x 10.81 inches
  8. Publisher
    Viking Books for Young Readers
  9. Publication date
    October 1, 1992
  10. ISBN-10
    067084487X
  11. ISBN-13
    978-0670844876
  12. See all details
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From the Publisher

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If geese had graves, Mother Goose would be rolling in hers. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales retells--and wreaks havoc on--the allegories we all thought we knew by heart. In these irreverent variations on well-known themes, the ugly duckling grows up to be an ugly duck, and the princess who kisses the frog wins only a mouthful of amphibian slime. The Stinky Cheese Man deconstructs not only the tradition of the fairy tale but also the entire notion of a book. Our naughty narrator, Jack, makes a mockery of the title page, the table of contents, and even the endpaper by shuffling, scoffing, and generally paying no mind to structure. Characters slide in and out of tales; Cinderella rebuffs Rumpelstiltskin, and the Giant at the top of the beanstalk snacks on the Little Red Hen. There are no lessons to be learned or morals to take to heart--just good, sarcastic fun that smart-alecks of all ages will love.

From Publishers Weekly

Grade-school irreverence abounds in this compendium of (extremely brief) fractured fairy tales, which might well be subtitled "All Things Gross and Giddy." With a relentless application of the sarcasm that tickled readers of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs , Scieszka and Smith skewer a host of juvenile favorites: Little Red Running Shorts beats the wolf to grandmother's house; the Really Ugly Duckling matures into a Really Ugly Duck; Cinderumpelstiltskin is "a girl who really blew it." Text and art work together for maximum comic impact--varying styles and sizes of type add to the illustrations' chaos, as when Chicken Licken discovers that the Table of Contents, and not the sky, is falling. Smith's art, in fact, expands upon his previous waggery to include increased interplay between characters, and even more of his intricate detail work. The collaborators' hijinks are evident in every aspect of the book, from endpapers to copyright notice. However, the zaniness and deadpan delivery that have distinguished their previous work may strike some as overdone here. This book's tone is often frenzied; its rather specialized humor, delivered with the rapid-fire pacing of a string of one-liners, at times seems almost mean-spirited. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Viking Books for Young Readers (October 1, 1992)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 56 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 067084487X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0670844876
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 520L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 2
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9 x 0.44 x 10.81 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 6,176 ratings

About the authors

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Previous page
  1. Lane Smith

    Lane Smith

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Lane Smith is the author/illustrator of several award-winning books for children. He is the Kate Greenaway medal winner for There Is a Tribe of Kids (2017) and the two-time Caldecott Honor winner for Grandpa Green (2012) and The Stinky Cheese Man (1993). Five of his books have won the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award and several of his books, including It's a Book, John, Paul George & Ben and Madam President have been New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestsellers. Mr. Smith has illustrated works by Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss, George Saunders, Bob Shea, Judith Viorst, Dave Eggers, Jory John, Florence Parry Heide, Jack Prelutsky and Eve Merriam. Some of his most popular books are with frequent collaborator, Jon Scieszka. Mr. Smith lives in Connecticut with his wife Molly Leach, an award-winning graphic designer.

    www.lanesmithbooks.com

    See more on the author's page
  2. Jon Scieszka

    Jon Scieszka

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Jon Scieszka is the author of all of those books over next to his picture.

    He has been writing books for so long (since 1989) that he doesn't even know how many are over there. But he's sold bazillions. The books have won a mess of awards. And he is having the best time writing more more more.

    He is also the founder of Guys Read, a literacy initiative for boys. He is the first US National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. And he is still the nicest of six Scieszka boys.

    No one knows exactly where he lives.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
6,176 global ratings
Favorite Childhood Book
5 Stars
Favorite Childhood Book
I loved this book when it came out. I got to read it a year after it was published when I was in the 3rd grade. It sparked an interest in humor and satire for me personally. I've told a lot of my friends about this book when I was older and no one knew about it! I came across it at a thrift store, but didn't nab the chance to purchase it, so I decided to buy it brand, spanking new on here! The book was here the next day and I got to get that nostalgia itch scratched and plan on sharing this book with my little-uns someday!
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Top reviews from the United States

Marissa Sharpe
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2024
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This book is a classic. Cute. Unique. Nuff said.
One person found this helpful
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Joel L. Gandelman
5.0 out of 5 stars I want to hoard this book (IT'S MINE!)
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2002
Verified Purchase
GREAT! What other word can possibly come to mind reading The Stinky Cheese Man? I originally bought this book for my niece and nephew, Kayla and Greg. But before I gave it to them I read it myself and I simply could not stop laughing.
The best way to describe this to parents and adults is: it's a combination of Rocky and Bullwinkle (working on two humor levels), Mad Magazine, Mother Goose, and absolute literary anarchy. If you're an adult and have any sense of humor whatsoever you're going to laugh out loud. The best way to describe this to parents is to quote Greg, 10, who, upon being told he'd get this book said: "GREAT! It has those funny stories and those crazy drawings. I love it!!"
How did author Jon Scieszka and illustrator hit on a book that truly appeals to ALL ages? The book is a parody, moving visually and in its text as fast as a guided missle, but never for one millisecond underestimating the intelligence of its kid -- or adult -- readership. My Special 10 Year Anniversary Edition of this book contained a "Long Lost Stupid Fairy Tale" printed under the cover, the Boy Who Cried Cow Patty, a take off of the boy who cried "Wolf." (There is a less kid friendly version of this great story circulating on the internet).
Once you open the book (and I will not give it all away) you are immediately comedically clobbered with the Little Red Hen, who can't wait until the title page is seen to start her story and is upset with the management. Fonts, page layout, are all satirized or exploited for maximum laughs. Any kid who has ever had a fairy tale read to him/her and looked at a typical fairy tale book will get the visual joke immediately. So this book is not only a book they can read but a book that will make them WANT to read MORE...and see that reading can truly be FUN.
But it's the screamingly funny text and outrageously zany illustrations that have made this book a (well-deserved) legend. Even though it contains the alleged Surgeon General's stamp-disclaimer warning that it "has been determined that these tales are fairly stupid and probably dangerous to your health" these nutty stories are anything but dangerous. The bottom line is that they're comedy-parodies that make all ages think, but don't require a degree to get the joke. The book succeeds from its bonus tale printed under its book cover to its final silly page.
Tales include Chicken Licken with its great ending (comedy coach Greg Dean writes that comedy is a "shattered assumption" and that's what we get here and it's FUN); The Princess and the Bowling Ball (take off on the Princess and the Pea); The Really Ugly Duckling (probably a truer version of this tale than has ever appeared before); the Other Frog Prince (the frog wants a kiss...but what is he??); Little Red Running Shorts; Jack's Bean Problem, Cinderumpelstiltskin; the Tortoise and the Hair; and the absolute all time classic The Stinky Cheese Man, a superb satire of the Gingerbread man with a laugh-out-loud ending.
This book SHOULD be titled "The Stinkey Cheese Man and Other Absolutely Hilarious Witty Tales." If you like satire/parody and want your kids (or you) to read an upscale Mad-type take off on fairy tales, this book is for YEW! Now my only problem is: where can I HIDE this book after the kids read it, so I can keep it for myself???
73 people found this helpful
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Nicole
5.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgia at its best
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2024
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Just a book from my childhood that I loved and wanted to get for my girl. It's fun, silly and playful. 20+ yrs later would still recommend.
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Nita Presutti
5.0 out of 5 stars Reminder of my childhood
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2024
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I read this book religiously when I was younger. Still funny and crazy like I remember! Great book for kids
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Mitchell
5.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgia
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2024
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I remembered this book from my youth and knew my kids would love it! We enjoy when traditional fairytales get a little goofier and are twisted. This one is a goofy one most kids will laugh out loud at
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Paigery
5.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgic
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2024
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Super cute book just like I remember from when I was younger brings back memories it was one of my favorites
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Cat
5.0 out of 5 stars Hysterically odd and memorable
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2023
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Read this as a child and to the children I babysat. This is a gift for my nephew and I hope he loves it.
The art is out of this world and the stories are weird enough to entertain the adults takes with reading it
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars My son loved it!
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book is Hilarious! I read it when I was a kid, but it’s been so long that I forgot about how funny it was. My son laughed so hard. Definitely a good way to send your little one off to bed
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Top reviews from other countries

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Shel
5.0 out of 5 stars 10/10 Book
Reviewed in Canada on April 8, 2024
Verified Purchase
I had this book as a child ( almost 30 years ago ) and absolutely loved it. My daughter likes to read and wanted a new book. I showed her the cover and she thought the Stinky Cheese Man was so adorable and she had to have the book. We’ve been repeatedly reading the Stinky Cheese Man and sharing the story to whoever will listen. I highly recommend this book.
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John Peter
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2023
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Bought this book for my nephew for Christmas. He absolutely loves it and finds it hilarious. Perfect.
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Auds
5.0 out of 5 stars Personal taste I guess
Reviewed in Germany on December 31, 2020
Verified Purchase
My 6 year old daughter enjoyed this twist on the original fairy tales. ( it’s abstract). She also chooses it as a bedtime story so I guess this is a sign that she enjoys this particular book. She found parts really funny. I think it’s cool to mix things up a bit and personally find it a great book.
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Luis G Barajas
5.0 out of 5 stars Sumamente divertido
Reviewed in Mexico on June 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
Lo adquirí por recomendación de un amigo quien tuvo acceso a él hace muchos años y quedó prendado de lo gracioso de las historias y del arte del libro. Excelente para niños y personas que se inician a leer en inglés.
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Atharva
4.0 out of 5 stars Funny retelling of the popular fairy tales..
Reviewed in India on November 7, 2018
Verified Purchase
A collection of popular fairy tales retold but in a twisted and funny way. So unless you know those fairy tales you wont understand the humor in it. But those are very popular ones, so it's likely that your kid knows the original stories.
Recommended for 8+.
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