Pinocchio

Rating:
Summary: The Story As It Was Meant To Be!
Review: Before Disney Studios produced their version of "Pinocchio" there was the original by Carlo Collodi, and it's a story everyone should read. The little wooden head didn't start out as the adorable creature you are probably used to; this is a bad boy with a deeply buried heart of gold. In fact, there is a veritable mountain of bad deeds and decisions for Pinocchio to climb out of to redeem himself and earn humanity. Collodi's dry, sly wit is what has kept this book in print since the 1800s. The author took chances and subjected his characters to torments The Mouse would never dare to draw. Fortunately for readers, the perfect tonic for erasing those whimical images is found in the twisted illustrations of Gris Grimly. One look at the cover and you know right away this is hardwood troublemaker just looking for some dilemna to jump into. Grimly's...well...grim creations find a perfect home in this tale of coming-of-age and losing-of-wood.

No matter how much you think you love your "Pinocchio" DVD, give this faithful treatment a try. You'll find yourself distressed that you have been missing out on the wickedly funny original all these years. And, you'll be a Grimly fan for life!

Rating:
Summary: Truly a Classic Tale...
Review: I can't say how surprised I was by this book. As a father of a toddler, I've began reading some of the classic children's stories for future consideration, and I was shocked at just how good this was. Prepare your child (or yourself) for a tale that is darker, comical, and so much more rich than the Disney adpatation. For children, Pinnochio has a few nice moral lessons nestled inside. For anyone else, it's a very entertaining read.