
Our favorite story was "Lessons," which was about a parrot who lives with an old woman, but who used to belong to a clergyman. Living with the clergyman gave the parrot a rather interesting vocabulary, so that when the Devil comes along, hoping to make some trouble, the parrot has a few tricks up his feathered sleeve. There was another story that was very strange, called "The Ear." It left my 7- and 9-year-olds scratching their heads in puzzlement at the end, but I found it intriguing, with imagery that is sure to remain in my mind for a long time to come.
I highly recommend the first Devil's story collection - it is delightful and makes a for great read-aloud. This one, sadly, didn't live up to our expectations - but those who loved the first book will find it hard to resist another visit to see what that tricky Devil is getting up to!
The Devil collections:
The Devil's Storybook
The Devil's Other Storybook
This book counts towards Molly's Personal Reading Challenge - I might just get there by the end of the year!
The Devil's Other Storybook by Natalie Babbit (Farrar Straus Giroux, 1987)
Interesting. I haven't read these but I have read (and loved) most of her others books.
ReplyDeleteIf you like her books, you'd certainly enjoy these short stories - particularly the first collection. They have a folktale feel and are clever and funny.
ReplyDeleteDarla - my library didn't have Violet on the Runway either. It is new - just heard it reviewed on NPR.
ReplyDeleteThe forensic mysteries sound really fascinating!
I hate when they do that before the book's available - by the time it comes out, I've forgotten all about it! It's on my list, though, and hopefully we'll be getting it. I'll let you know!
ReplyDelete