Kindle Price: $4.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Mini Grey
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon Kindle Edition

by Mini Grey (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 83 ratings
See all formats and editions
A hilarious tale of two nursery-rhyme heroes on the run, from the award-winning creator of the Traction Man series!
 
When the cow jumped over the moon, the dish ran away with the spoon . . . to seek fame and fortune in twentieth-century America. This is the never-before-told story of their exciting adventures out in the big world. How this famous nursery rhyme couple learns that crime doesn’t pay—and love conquers all—is a treat for the whole family!
 
Hand this to fans of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs or The Stinky Cheese Man.
 
“This inventive tale of true love will sustain many re-readings by readers of all ages.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred
 
Hey-diddle-delightful.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    6 - 9 years
  2. Print length
    32 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    1 - 4
  5. Lexile measure
    AD520L
  6. Publisher
    Knopf Books for Young Readers
  7. Publication date
    August 27, 2014
  8. Page Flip
    Not Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Not Enabled
  11. Sticky notes
    Not Enabled
  12. ISBN-13
    978-0375836916
  13. See all details
Next page
Hard Rock apparel
Outerwear, tees, and accessories. Discover the rock shop.

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
  1. Wolves
Next page

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fans of the fractured fairy tale genre will be very interested to learn the behind-the-scenes, never-before-told back story of the romance between the dish and the spoon of "Hey Diddle Diddle" fame. We all know that the dish ran away with the spoon after the cow jumped over the moon, but who could have envisioned the life they went on to lead? Winding up in New York City, the pair quickly finds fame and fortune in a vaudeville act. Unfortunately, like so many before them, the glory goes to their head and the money drains out of their pockets. Turning to a life of crime, the Dish and the Spoon learn the hard way that crime doesn't pay.

Mini Grey (The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-Be) pens a hilarious and romantic tale, accompanied by zany illustrations set in early 20th century Manhattan. The happily-ever-after ending will bring a smile to every face, human and utensil alike. --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-This romanticized, fractured spin on the classic nursery rhyme has the dish and the spoon running away to New York City to seek fortune and fame. They succeed at both, but a nonstop spending spree soon brings them to the door of some sharp and shady characters who gladly offer to lend them money. When their clients are unable to make their payments, a chase ensues, and, in desperation, the dish and the spoon rob a bank and end up in jail, separated for 25 years. Readers and listeners alike will love the sharp and shady gang in the guise of a meat cleaver, a serrated knife, and a cooking fork with menacing eyes and legs, while the stylish collage illustrations of early-20th-century New York City, in split-screen format, will dazzle and amaze them. The age-old lesson that crime doesn't pay and the poignant beauty of true love enduring the test of time are playfully and delicately portrayed. Combine this contemporary makeover with the classic original for a delightful mix that is full of panache. A whole new generation of youngsters, as well as older kids, will be enthusiastically chanting this nursery rhyme.-Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville, AL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00ILWPJWS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf Books for Young Readers (August 27, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 27, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 99657 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 83 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Mini Grey

Mini Grey

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

Born in a mini car in a car park in South Wales, Mini worked as a theatre designer, then a primary school teacher, before studying for an MA in sequential design at Brighton University. Since then she has been mostly making children’s picture books, some of which have won awards.

Recent books by Mini include The Last Wolf and The Bad Bunnies’ Magic Show. 2020 saw the publication of Money-Go-Round written by Roger McGough and illustrated by Mini, and The Book of Not Entirely Useful Advice, a volume of poems and pictures by AF Harrold and Mini. Published in May 2022 is Mini’s new book, The Greatest Show on Earth, the 4.6 billion year story of life on our planet, told by Rod the Roach and his troupe of insects.

Mini lives in Oxford UK with her partner Tony and son Herbie. She likes running along the river and down corridors, and playing with her food.

Mini’s Sketch-Blog: http://minigrey-blog.com

Twitter: @Bonzetta1

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
83 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

L. Davenport
5.0 out of 5 stars The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2013
Verified Purchase
Follow the "new and improved" adventures of dish and spoon as they experience supreme highs and dreadful lows. But fear not, gentle reader - love conquers all.
Helpful
 Report
J. M. Booth
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Classic!!!
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2010
Verified Purchase
My son loves this book!!! We were checking it out at the library for a year, before we realized that we could buy it on Amazon! A great children's book!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Betsy Bird
5.0 out of 5 stars Hey, baby, they're playing our song. Let's get back together, that's where we belong.
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2006
Mini Grey, likes to do things a little differently. You would expect no less from a woman named after a car, I suppose. Back in the day, Grey's first picture book, "The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-be" got her a bit of casual interest by taking a pea's perspective. Her second title, "Traction Man Is Here", roped itself a highly prestigious Boston-Globe Book Award and presented to us the too-often dangerous world of an action figure. Now something entirely different has come along the pike and Grey has given us a book that's primed to knock our socks off yet again. We all know that old "Hey Diddle Diddle" nursery rhyme. You know the one I mean. With the moon loving cow, the fiddle-playing cat, and the dog who finds it all a gas? We've heard it all before, but what really happened to the dish and the spoon? Remember how in the poem they just took off without so much as a toodle-oo? For decades upon decades illustrators and writers have speculated as to the last known location of the intrepid duo. Now, at long last, we have the answer. They fled to New York City and their story is not necessarily a pretty one.

It happened one night. The record was playing, the moon was full, and Dish and Spoon just took off for parts unknown. A quick dive into the ocean, a sail across the sea, and before you know it the twosome find themselves in the Big Apple! It doesn't take long for the pair to hit it big on the vaudeville circuit and for a while it's all fame, fortune, and glamour. Unfortunately they go a little crazy with their dough and before you know it they've been replaced by a hot new act. Trying to get some money from a shady crew of knives, hammers, and tongs just gets our heroes into even deeper trouble. They attempt to rob a bank to pay back their debts but the Dish gets cracked and the spoon serves some time. Years later both have been deported back to Great Britain and in a junk shop the old lovers are reunited once again. And you know, there are people out there who have never seen Dish and Spoon tricks before. It's a whole new world and our heroes are back on top.

Grey first honed her talents for animating inanimate objects in "Traction Man Is Here" and in this book she goes all out on the details. Did you notice that when Dish and Spoon get their first glimpse of Lady Liberty she isn't sporting her usual greenish glow but instead a glorious coppery color? Did you see the evil knives and tongs going down a carnival slide near the end? How about the reappearing Liberty Head nickel that crops up from time to time? When Dish and Spoon are trolling about in their new jalopy, a nickel on the crest of the car identifies the year as 1933. The Liberty Head nickel motif was one of the more interesting and obvious details of the book, but there were plenty of others to catch the eye as well. Reading this book through several times you begin to learn more and more about the details of the Dish and Spoon escape. The cat with a fiddle, for example, seems to be the fellow who inspires the two to run away in the first place, bringing them together again at the end. As with all her books, Grey packs in the images and multiple storylines in new and interesting combinations.

The book is slightly more dour than its predecessor, "Traction Man Is Here". In that book, the most depressing moment in the story was when our hero couldn't defeat the villain because everyone was laughing at him in his bright green jumper. In "Dish and Spoon" one hero is cracked and sent to recuperate in Britain while the other does time for his crime. Still, it makes for a far more satisfying ending and I can honestly say that I've never read a picture book that presents spoon-dish love in such a sympathetic and truly touching manner.

Of course, Grey isn't the first picture book author to speculate on the whereabouts of Baby-We-Were-Born-To-Run Dish and Spoon. Just back in 2001 Janet Stevens came out with, "And the Dish Ran Away With the Spoon". And while a lovely looking item and all, Stevens' creation cannot touch Grey's when it comes to pure bonified moxy. Grey brings to life the 1930s and 50s with more flair than you'd ever think possible. If you want to introduce young children to Depression-era America, or just need a couple of fractured fairy-tale/nursery rhyme picture books to pad out your collection, this should be one of the first items to purchase for your list. A tale of adventure, sterling silver, and true love. Fine fine cutlery indeed.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
J. Lyon
4.0 out of 5 stars My son absolutely loved it and we read it to him over and ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is an odd children's book. It's enjoyable, but it always feels a bit off kilter. My son absolutely loved it and we read it to him over and over and over.
Helpful
 Report
Megan
2.0 out of 5 stars Great illustrations but disappointing story
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2010
Verified Purchase
The illustrations in this story are just as engaging as those in Mini Grey's "Biscuit Bear", but this story seems to be missing parts. The story jumps from one part to another without clear and sensible transitions, as if chapters are missing (if this were a longer story). Perhaps the author presupposes that the reader knows more about the nursery rhyme than actually exists, but more detail in the story would be necessary to make this story even half as well-developed as it should be to deserve the fantastic illustrations. I would not recommend this book for parents who like a good, well-developed storyline, but instead you should look for "Biscuit Bear" by the same author.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kelly Herold
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wild Ride!
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2006
The spoon narrates this version of the dish/spoon tale and it's a wild ride from the beginning. This dish, you see, has quite the taste for adventure and the spoon is so besotted, s/he can't help but follow along: "I don't know where we were going and I didn't care. I knew the dish would take us there."

And, "there" they go. First to NYC, starring in a vaudeville show, where they are a huge hit. But, like many a great adventurer, the dish "got a taste for the high life" and before you know it the money "was all gone." They go into debt to "a gang of sharp and shady characters," and end up on the run.

When the dish is injured, s/he tells the spoon to "run while you can." The spoon, who is clearly the passive character in this relationship, tells us, sadly: "But the dish was broken and so was I. I let them lock me up and turned away from the moon."

The spoon is locked away for twenty five years (!) and, upon release, finds work in a china shop. Lo and behold the dish is there and when someone "put a record on the old gramophone player," the tune inspires them to hit the road once again and entertain.

It's an old story, but Mini Grey shakes it up with dynamic, entertaining and funny illustrations. The "shady characters" who loan the dish and the spoon money? Some scary-looking knives, who cast long shadows. When the dish and spoon run away from said characters, they wear hilarious burglar masks. While I worry about spoon's passivity (Spoon! Listen up: the Dish is bad for you. You can do better), "The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon" is read-aloud fun--perfect for the four- to nine-year-old crowd.

NB: I read this book aloud last night to a five year old and discovered the dish is a she. No definite gender for the spoon, however.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
One Potato
5.0 out of 5 stars Jazz Age
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2011
Riotous and nostalgic: A tune. A taste for the high life. "A gang of sharp and shady characters."(Knives). Ruin. Hard time. And finally a reunion that feels no less joyous or heartbreaking for happening to a place setting.
Helpful
 Report
AReader
2.0 out of 5 stars Usually Adventures are a Good Thing - Prison, Not So Much
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2016
Verified Purchase
It's a little confusing to explain to a four-year-old why the dish went to prison.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
SWhit
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
Quick delivery and well packaged

Lovely story loosely linked to characters from Hey Diddle Diddle. The illustrations are great as they add extra detail to the story. I used it as a guided reading text with Y2/3 children.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Suencfc
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved by the year 3 class
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 19, 2020
Verified Purchase
A sassy little book with great illustrations. It tells the story of what happens when the dish ran away with the spoon and their roller coaster life of show-biz, crime and redemption. Great material for class work. A really good scheme of work is available through Take one Book/Just Imagine website.
Report
mother goose
4.0 out of 5 stars 人生の機微を感じさせる傑作
Reviewed in Japan on May 13, 2013
Verified Purchase
さすがケイト･グリーナウェイ賞受賞作です!!　マザーグース"Hey Diddle Diddle"をパロディー化し、さらに人生の機微をも色々と感じさせる作品となっています。
Report
kmatthews84
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent children's book... something different.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2017
Verified Purchase
I discovered this in the library with my then 3 year-old son, and he loved it.

The illustrations are great - really unusual, yet engaging and the story is great. My son thought it was hilarious at the end when Dish and Spoon were reunited, and Dish is self-conscious. I thought it was beautiful, and it still brings a tear to my eye!
Report
L Camblin
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
Very good book for inference
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report