In the Night Kitchen (Caldecott Collection) Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of In the Night Kitchen (Caldecott Collection)
Book Review: Creative!
Summary: 4 Stars
Im sorry everyone for ONCE AGAIN mentioning the nude thing. God knows theres been enough of that. To the person who said it was their right to have an opinion. Well, thats true, but its our right to think your opinion is wrong and to proclaim your review as "unhelpful". I promise that my speakings of the nudity issue is over. Whew.:)
What more is there to say other than that the book is about a young boy who has a eventful and strange night? Oh and another thing, just because this book is strange doesnt mean it is horrible. The world needs more creativity. And this story and its beautiful illustrations bring the reader with just that. Do we need another reason to like Sendak?
R
Book Review: Wonderfully Adorable!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have the dvd for this and it was the best $10 investment ever. The music for this book even captures my 2 year olds attention. My son adores this. Clearly a favorite. He even sits and sings "I'm not the milk and the milk's not me" "I'm mickey". Ask my son his name (Ethan) and he'll tell you "Mickey". It's amazing. He loves to act this story out. He has never once made anythying out of Mickey's lack of pajamas. He has recently started yelling "QUIET" at people.. hm.. wonder where he got THAT from?!
I highly recommend this book, but even more so the dvd.
Book Review: Great, Dreamlike, Surreal Book - Obviously not for everyone
Summary: 5 Stars
"In The Night Kitchen" is the bizarre, surreal story of Mickey and his journey into the mysterious night kitchen where bakers are preparing the 'morning cake.' Mickey is the savior of the story getting the key ingredient, Milk, for the bakers to complete the cakes. Like "Where the Wild Things Are," "In The Night Kitchen" is the dream of the main character. Where Max's room turns into a jungle, Mickey "falls/ floats" down through his room into the fantastical kitchen-world that appears to be below his house. The story is a child's dream. It is not supposed to make perfect sense to adult minds. In all honesty, the book seemed a little weird and disjointed to me at first. But my son instantly loved it. He is now 3.5 and we have been reading this book to him pretty consistently for about a year and a half now. He still loves it. It grew on me as well. The subtleties in the art are very well placed, more so than "Where the Wild Things Are." If you realize the book is just the surreal journey of a child's dream you may not get weirded out by it, and may begin to appreciate the book for what it is, a great child's story. As mentioned, Mickey does get naked as he transitions from his bedroom to the night kitchen and into his 'dough-suit,' then again as he transitions back to his house. As it seems a lot of people get stuck on this one facet of the book. Chances are if a child being naked in a children's book makes you uncomfortable, you probably won't like this one for you kids and should probably just avoid it.Book Review: strange...and awful. Awfully strange!
Summary: 1 Stars
All the people that say that this book doesn't flow right, and that the little boy being naked isn't necessary... all these people happen to be right. "Wild Things" was a great kids book. The bottom line however, is that this is a strange book by a strange man.
Now, to all you enlightened elitists out there that want to "shame" me and call me a "book-burner" (or other such nonsense): YOU are the ones who should be ashamed! Can I not have an opinion on a book I read? Am I in some way obligated to emit flowing phrase for every piece of trash book in front of me (such as this one)? I didn't think so. I don't want your copy of this book burned; I just wouldn't recommend it, that's all. This is a free country after all. Just because I have a reasoned opinion on a subject, or an intellectual difference with YOU does not make me a "book-burner" (a ridiculous charge, and an insidious tactic). You "open-minded" librarian types should know better.
Now go ahead, thought-police: everyone clamour to say that this review "isn't helpful" to you, when in reality what you are really doing is protesting the fact that I simply don't agree with your effusive praise for this odd book. WHO ARE THE TRUE CENSORS I ASK YOU??
Book Review: If you can't get the pattern, rent the dvd.
Summary: 5 Stars
Honestly, we don't even own the book. (yet) We do have Where the Wild Things Are and my friend highly recommended the Scholastic dvd's. I found the WTWTA dvd and picked it up for that story. Lately, my son has been asking for the Night Kitchen- the last story on the dvd. The first time I heard it I was like "huh?" just listening to it- the lyricism of it appealed to me but the "milk in the batter, milk in the batter, we bake cakes and nothing else matters" just didn't make sense to my 31 year old mind. Then I watched it. Yep, it's Laurel and Hardy & their brother baking the cake, the Mickey oven is Mickey mouse (who I adore) and, holy cow, Mickey is NAKED! Majoring in children's literature, I knew immediatly that this book would be threatened to be pulled without having to read the reviews. The fact that it goes back to having a new baby in the house makes a lot of sense. (the most primal outfit we have is our own skin, right?) No, he doesn't HAVE to be naked, but isn't it beautiful how our kids don't have the hangups about it that we instill in them later? I think the images are so vivid and lovely that I am considering getting a copy of the book to tear apart and frame for my son's room.
Not to degrade those who have rated this book low on the scale, I mean, to each his/her own, but it's "not making sense" is part of the beauty of it. I wish I could count the number of times my 5 year old son has told me something that doesn't make sense. Jimbo from Treasure Planet has planted a garden, taken a train, and uses mulch chips from our garden as his surf board.
This beautiful imagry and creative story are masterfully woven together to make this a childhood (and beyond!) classic.
I am hoping to find an autographed copy to add to my son's autographed book collection. That's the ONLY reason why we don't own it yet.