Manneken Pis : A Simple Story of a Boy Who Peed on a War

Rating:
Summary: Manneken Pis: A Simple Story That Entertains
Review: When the book first arrived on the shelves of the library that employs me, most of my coworkers agreed they would never read the book to children. In fact, there were bets being placed as to how long it would last before some parent complained about the content. But, I'm here to say that Manneken Pis: A Simple Story of a Boy Who Peed on a War does more than just rely on the laughs the images of a peeing boy conjures. While I cannot vouch for the validity of the history lesson the book provides (not my best subject), I can vouch that the story engrossed the fourth grade classes I read it to. The story starts off as any other folk tale might, with a beautiful family in a beautiful town where everyone is happy. Soon the war strikes, and the book focuses most on the viciousness of war, showing the soldiers as pseudo-human gremlin types, and the ill effects it has on the town. The child, torn from his parents wanders the streets and in a moment of dire emergency, relieves himself from the top of the town wall causing the soldiers to break into a laughter so fierce that they fall asleep from exhaustion. When they wake up, no one can remember why the war started, and the little boy who peed on a war becomes a town hero, complete with a bronze statue named after him. The book's illustrations are simple and colorful and work great in this situation. Anything too realistic could have caused far more controversy than the book needs. Highly recommended to show children that war is bad, laughing and pausing to think is good, and sometimes, if a person REALLY has to go, they REALLY have to go.

Rating:
Summary: Manneken Pis: A Simple Story That Entertains
Review: When the book first arrived on the shelves of the library that employs me, most of my coworkers agreed they would never read the book to children. In fact, there were bets being placed as to how long it would last before some parent complained about the content. But, I'm here to say that Manneken Pis: A Simple Story of a Boy Who Peed on a War does more than just rely on the laughs the images of a peeing boy conjures. While I cannot vouch for the validity of the history lesson the book provides (not my best subject), I can vouch that the story engrossed the fourth grade classes I read it to. The story starts off as any other folk tale might, with a beautiful family in a beautiful town where everyone is happy. Soon the war strikes, and the book focuses most on the viciousness of war, showing the soldiers as pseudo-human gremlin types, and the ill effects it has on the town. The child, torn from his parents wanders the streets and in a moment of dire emergency, relieves himself from the top of the town wall causing the soldiers to break into a laughter so fierce that they fall asleep from exhaustion. When they wake up, no one can remember why the war started, and the little boy who peed on a war becomes a town hero, complete with a bronze statue named after him. The book's illustrations are simple and colorful and work great in this situation. Anything too realistic could have caused far more controversy than the book needs. Highly recommended to show children that war is bad, laughing and pausing to think is good, and sometimes, if a person REALLY has to go, they REALLY have to go.