[.ca] Grasshopper on the Road (ISBN 006023962X)

Stories For Children / Allegories for Adults:
A grasshopper has six different encounters on his journey through the 57 pages of this book. In the first encounter, "The Club," he meets ýga group of beetlesýh that enthusiastically support/rally for ýgmorning,ýh but become rather cross when they discover that the grasshopper loves ýgafternoonýh and ýgnightýh too. In the second encounter, ýgA New House,ýh the grasshopper comes upon a ýgwormýh that lives in an apple, which suddenly begins to ýgroll down the roadýh and smashes ýginto a hundred pieces.ýh The completely unfazed worm then crawls into ýga new house.ýh In the third encounter, ýgThe Sweeper,ýh the grasshopper runs into a ýghouseflyýh that is intent on sweeping ýguntil the whole world is clean.ýh In the fourth encounter, ýgThe Voyage,ýh the grasshopper comes in contact with a know-it-all ýgmosquitoýh that insists that the grasshopper use a ýglittle boatýh to cross a ýgpuddleýh because ýgit is a ruleýh and ýgrules are rules.ýh In the fifth encounter, ýgAlways,ýh the grasshopper who does ýgsomething different every day of his lifeýh meets ýgthree butterfliesýh who ýgdo the same thing at the same time each and every day.ýh In the final encounter, ýgAt Evening,ýh the grasshopper comes across ýgtwo dragonfliesýh ýgzipping and zoomingýh around so rapidly that they ýgdo not have time to look atýh a variety to things, as opposed to the grasshopper who is ýghappy to be walking slowly down the roadýh taking in everything. A child who has learned to read at age four will be able to handle this at age five and six, but will most likely not comprehend the intended allegory.

Jonathan Swift - or George Orwell - for kids:
I found Grasshopper on the Road to be a witty, slightly subversive story with ample political satire for adults as well as eing a delightful kiddy read. (My daughter is 4.) There's a bit of Animal Farm and Gulliver's Travels built in to the story - coming upon the rally of beetles who cheer Grasshopper on until they realize he doesn't accept their political beliefs - and then proceed to bash him... the Lilliputian mosquito who insists that "rules are rules" and demands to take Grasshopper across a little puddle in his tiny rowboat, while Grasshopper merely lifts up the whole boat and carries mosquito across in two steps... the butterflies who demand that mosquito vacate a particular mushroom on which he is sitting because that's where they take a dailiy rest on that particular one... the housefly with obsessive-compulsive disorder who can't stop cleaning and dusting, and so on. I've enjoyed Lobel's intelligent and ironic stories (including the misadventures of the happily gay couple, Frog & Toad), which kids love and which don't talk down to grown-ups! I'm just sorry that I discovered him as a grown-up myself.

Grasshopper on the Road:
I like the book called Grasshopper on the Road. Grasshopper wants to go on an adventure. He finds a road. He finds one that goes all around town. In his adventure he meets some bugs along the way. I would give it a 4. I like the pictures and story but I didn't like all the dark colors that the illustrator used. Dark colors are gloomy.

Grasshopper on The Road:
I thought this book was fine. I like the book. This book is a neat book.

A hilarious story of eccentric characters:
...I bought this book for my 7-year-old twins, who arehome-schooled. The book's reading level is appropriate for end offirst grade or beginning of second grade. They LOVED this book!Their favorite story was the Worm story, which STILL sends them intoconvulsions of laughter whenever they hear it. The book has also beenthe basis of discussion about intolerance, moving on the the face ofloss, appeasing others to make them feel good, and other topics. Allin all, the book was absolutely worth the price!