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The Sweetest Fig Review
User Submitted The Sweetest Fig ReviewsDecember 1, 2008 Be Careful What You Wish For... He wowed us with the tale of a board game that sprouted animals from the deepest darkest jungles. He made us believe in magic with a train that took a lucky few children to the far reaches of the North Pole to get a glimpse of Santa Claus. Now he rightfully instills fear for the consequences of ultimate egocentrism. Chris Van Allsburg, a Caldecott Medal winner for "Jumanji" and "The Polar Express", turns toward the dark side of irony in "The Sweetest Fig", a story that serves to warn children of the possible costs of unmitigated selfishness. It also makes some keen observations on the master-slave relationship and what would happen should the tables suddenly be turned. We are first introduced to Monsieur Bibot (the story's antagonist), as a "fussy man", a dentist with an overtly meticulous nature. A place for everything and everything in its place, he even insists upon restricting his small dog Marcel from jumping up on any furniture or curiously sniffing things, torture for an energetic dog who just wants to run and play. Bibot gets an unexpected disruption in his tightly scheduled regime from an older woman in pain from a toothache. Ready to turn her away due to her lack of an appointment, she beseeches him with her agonized moans and he relents. Peering inside her mouth, he decisively pulls out a troublesome tooth and in her gratitude, the woman offers Bibot two ripe figs as payment. He scoffs at her lack of funds as well as her insistence that the figs are special - once eaten, a person's wildest dreams will truly come to fruition. It is at this point that the heartless Bibot swiftly escorts her out the door, denying her any pain medication but keeping the seemingly ordinary figs. At dinner that evening, Bibot chances to try one of the figs, marveling at its heavenly flavor. He soon finds as he wakes the next morning to a series of strange events that the figs are indeed extraordinary and vows to use the second fig to his advantage. What he doesn't count on is Marcel's confiscation of the fig and ultimately the ruination of his grand plan; he gets the shock of his life the next morning when he wakes to a world where he is no longer the "master" of his own destiny. Van Allsburg's illustrations are beautiful and life-like while still retaining a dreamy quality, its rich, warm palette consisting of chocolate, maroon, plum, taupe and tan a pleasure to gaze upon. Bibot's long, pointy nose skirted by an Imperial-style moustache, narrow face with wire-rimmed spectacles and fastidiously knotted bowtie give him that snobbish, aristocratic air of which Van Allsburg writes. When looking at pictures of Bibot with a brow deeply furrowed in disdain for the gift of the figs or wielding a rolled-up newspaper ready to strike his poor dog for innocently lounging in a chair, a reader can hardly wait for him to get his comeuppance and Van Allsburg most certainly follows through, Bibot suffering a fate worse than the loss of untold riches. Bottom line: One of the most unusual stories in Van Allsburg's vast collection of children's books, "The Sweetest Fig" is a departure from the happy endings with which we are so familiar. If you dare to venture to the darker side of human nature with your child, this is a most interesting and modern tale to add to your collection. September 30, 2008 Are children ready for Grimm? I'm mostly responding to the negative review--that the book is not for young children. I LOVED! reading this book with a French accent to my kids and now my grandkids. And they seemed to like it too. The story is not all sweetness and light. But most little kids i've met are figuring out life isn't either. Isn't there something cathartic about seeing disturbing, bad people do what they do, then getting their just desserts? February 23, 2008 Great pictures and plot. We both thought this book was great. The pictures are fantastic and the plot not only funny but has a great twist at the end. What would you do with a magic fig? What would your pet do with one? Recommended for ages 4-8 years. September 30, 2007 A WELL TOLD STORY AND THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE TOP LINE. The Sweetest Fig, by Chris Van Allsburg is one of those unique books that is simply "different." I can think of no other way of describing this book, other than delightfully and simply "quirky." It is an absolute delight for both young and old. It is a simple story of an uptight dentist, a long suffering dog, an old, poor lady down on her luck, and two very interesting, magic figs which will make your dreams come true. The dentist takes the two magic figs, rather begrudgingly, as payment for dental work done for the old lady. Now this is enough of the story line. This is a story of greed and the consequences of greed. The art work in this small book is absolutely wonderful. The longer you study each frame, the better it gets. The text is quite simple and very easy to understand. The story explores a side of human nature (for some people) that needs to be explored. Your kids will be running into individual like our unlikeable dentist all of their lives, and this book will give them something to remember and something to snicker about as they get older. Now some folk, I like to call them the "hand-wringers" will think that the story, and the way it is told, may not be appropriate for younger children. Yes, there is some implied mild violence, some very sly and vague Freudian imagery (if your child can spot this, then she or he is well beyond the understanding level of most adults and you probably need to upgrade the child's reading list.) and indeed, the way the greedy dentist treats his dog is not nice at all. This of course is the responsibility of each individual parent to make this decision, but for the life of me, I cannot find the objection here. This wonderful morality tale gives the parent loads of little items that can be discussed with the child as the story is being read, and there are many little lessons to be learned here. I have read this book to children in the class room as young as six and they all certainly got the meaning of the story, enjoyed it, and loved it when the dentist got what was coming to him. Let us not underestimate the brightness of our children. In many ways they are much smarter and more perceptive than we are. Recommend this one highly. (Love the little dog, by the way). July 27, 2007 Imaginative and beautiful Van Allsburg, as usual, brings us a delightful tale about a "stiff" dentist and his just desserts. The illustrations are typical Allsburg, beautiful and masterful. Somewhat of a morality tale about what might happen if you don't treat others with kindness, but not overt. Very imaginative and engaging. Best for children ages 6-10. June 2, 2007 This modern fable is classic Van Allsburg THE SWEETEST FIG combines rather ordinary settings with magic and mystery similarly to what Van Allsburg does in his picture book classics JUMANJI, THE STRANGER, and THE POLAR EXPRESS. The setting of THE SWEETEST FIG is Paris and our main character is a nasty dentist named Bibot living with his long suffering dog Marcel. Through magical means Bibot gets his comeuppance and Marcel the upper hand by the end of the story. Like many picture books (including many of Van Allsburg's) the illustrations, theme and language are really too sophisticated for the Preschool/Kindergarten picture book crowd and can be much better appreciated by children in elementary/middle school. Bibot does appear in his underwear in one scene and there is some implied violence in some of the illustrations but nothing else to make this clever story objectionable to the average reader. May 4, 2007 Not appropriate for children. Art is beautiful but content is not appropriate for children. Possibly appropriate for a high school student but not for an elementary student. Certainly not appropriate for a preschooler. This is classified as an illustrated children's book. I would recommend reviewing the book in a library or a bookstore prior to purchasing it on amazon so as not to risk the time, effort, and a not-in-full refund or the return shipping rate. July 20, 2006 *Isaac Newton's Favorite FIG TALE* From what place of antiquity does this Tale come? It doubtless comes from an intersection of mystery and imagination. The reader's response need only be Fits of Laughter . . . and . . . "Hail, Marcel"! The tale, Chris Van Allsburg's "The Sweetest Fig," might be too short for the rules of some contests, such as Brown County INDIANA's annual Tall Tale Event that all hopeful writers should investigate via the Nashville/Brown County Public Library. But it is long on surreal humor. A stiff-necked dentist Monsieur Bibot grudgingly accepts two "very special" figs in payment for a wretched old woman's tooth extraction . We sometimes think the phrase "life-changing" is over-worked, but it is 100% accurate with the case of these FIGS. The author has written one of the TALLEST OF SHORT TALES that Reviewer mcHAIKU has ever 'doubled up' over! Now YOU can join in the laughs. October 18, 2004 good book The sweetest fig is a great book. I liked reading it. My dog dreams of bones and chasing rabbits. Marcel is a really smart dog. Mr. bibot was mean to him. He deserved it. You should buy this book because it is good and you will love it. It is my favorite. Written by Austin Ginn, first grade. Posted by his tutor. May 20, 2004 The Sweetest Fig The Sweetest Fig story takes place in Paris, France. Monsiur Bibot, the coldhearted dentist, helped a patient who had a toothache. After Bibot helped her, all she could pay him with were two magical figs. In disbelief, Bibot took the figs and shoved her out of his office. When Bibot went home, he decided to eat one of the figs as an evening snack. It was the seetest fig Bibot had ever tasted, it just wasn't until the next morning that Monsieur Bibot realized it indeed was so magical that it had the power to make your dreams come true. For more The Sweetest Fig reviews click here.
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