The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's Caldecott Honor book, "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales," is a brilliant, postmodern collection that reimagines classic fairy tales with a hilarious, irreverent twist. Narrated by Jack (of Beanstalk fame), the stories feature characters like the Stinky Cheese Man and Little Red Running Shorts, who not only tell their own versions of tales but also interact directly with the book's design and conventions. It's a fantastic read-aloud for ages 6-9, offering both pure entertainment and a clever introduction to literary concepts like narrative structure, parody, and breaking the fourth wall. Parents will appreciate its wit and how it encourages creative thinking about storytelling.

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales is the ultimate in fractured fairy tales. Not only do the characters create their own stories, they also design the structure of the book itself. Classic fairy tales are deconstructed and rewritten with different but recognizable names, such as The Princess and the Bowling Ball, The Really Ugly Duckling, The Tortoise and the Hair and Chicken Licken. These stories and their characters intersect and create a mish-mash of narratives. Scieszka also mocks the conventions of books in general; the title page, dedication, and even the public information page have all been deconstructed. For example, Scieszka sneaks in the line “Anyone caught telling these fairly stupid tales will be visited, in person, by the Stinky Cheese Man” on the publication data page.