Wrong book is wrong.

That's not how you deal with a problem like that. You really need to get an adult involved. You don't want to end up in a situation where the bully is actually violent with you. There are only threats in this story, but kids aren't going to come up with the solution to bullying on their own. This whole book is a bad idea. Don't do this.

Message

People will stop bullying you if you trick them into eating something yucky.

Tuesday... afternoon...

It's silly and rather surreal, with pretty pictures. There's not much to it beyond a lovely flight of imagination, and an implication that we're witnessing the beginnings of something truly unusual.

Message

None.

I don't want to walk around in circles walk around in circles walk around in...

It's kind of unusual to be fascinated by spirals, or any shape for that matter. Spirals don't really do anything by themselves, as it's more what is spiraling and why that is the important thing. But getting kids to recognize the pattern of their existence is the first step.

Message

Spirals are awesome.

Not a bad story.

Very cute. It's a playful exploration of what you can pretend boxes to be. The line drawings are charming and imaginative, and the plot is true to how children love to play in boxes.

Message

Imagination is awesome.

Good message, well written.

The boy is humbled by the quiet integrity of his grandfather and learns his lesson in a more subtle, realistic way than a lot of books with the same moral.

Message

Don't lie. Be honest.

At least the author can't complain about my review. She gets what she gets.

So, yeah. Magical solution to an actual real problem. That I really have. I'm pretty sure if I told my child, "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit," (he's almost three) he would throw a fit. And it's about as condescending as "Because I said so." Who gets to decide "what you get"?

Message

You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.

What are monkeys doing in Europe, anyway?

So he just solves the problem through anger? That's weird. It's kind of strange, because there's no real location for this. He's depicted as being in a town with a church, and houses and such, but there's a bunch of monkeys in the tree.

Message

You can solve your problems through anger.

Doesn't give the best impression of Chinese people. Maybe some were too embarrassed to come?

Ping is the only one who brought an empty pot, so he's the only honest child in the entirety of China, so he's going to be the emperor.

Message

Adults will lie to you in order to trick you into being honest to them.

Clever illustrations, not much substance.

Not really a very interesting story. It's got cute pictures. It's kind of silly. But I'm not that impressed with the writing. There's definitely no message. It's just a very strange book and not very useful.

Message

None.

I almost feel sorry for the wolf.

It's cute. I guess it really has the message of "Don't let yourself get boxed in by the story." "Don't kowtow to fate." Maybe that's reading too much into it, and it doesn't have a message at all, but that's the message I see in it. Which is a good message.

Message

Don't let the outside world tell you who to be.