The Great Paper Caper. Oliver Jeffers (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
47 months - I can appreciate the author's talent but I've just never really enjoyed his illustration style nor most of the stories... not exactly sure why. This one I spent a lot of time explaining to O what the different words meant... investigator, judge, prosecutor, alibi etc. These are not common things a 3 or 4 year old would know. I also had to explain all the thought bubbles. I actually don't mind any of these things as it's good vocabulary learning and it's always fun to have a discussion about what we are reading. But some would argue that that shouldn't be necessary or at least not to the degree required by this book. O's favorite parts were the doors in the trees.... "they're cute" and the (pig?) peeing which I can't see being necessary to the story. Barely 3 stars from me. I’m not sure why I wasn’t more charmed by this one.There is some humor, some sweetness, some interesting, intricate pictures, and quite a bit of whimsy. But, overall it’s just odd, and didactic. There are little lessons about conservation, trees and paper and theft and redemption and giving. But those words are too mighty for this one, I think. It’s so, so odd. I was a bit disturbed by a pig cooking what looked to me to be bacon. I didn’t “get” most of the humor.I guess it’s for older kids. There is text within some of the pictures that work best for independent readers.Kids who like paper airplanes and who care about the environment might get a kick out of this one. For me it barely escaped being just okay; somehow I kind of liked it, but I wouldn’t have missed much had I skipped it. I must reveal I’m atypical here so maybe it was my mood??? Until my 3 star review, Goodreads’ members rated it this way: 5 stars x 108 people, 4 stars x 154 people, 3 stars x 86 people, 2 stars x 16 people, and nobody rating it lower than that; 2 ½ stars from me, and a bit of a disappointment. My favorite things in this book are some of the illustrations, including the one with various creatures living under the trees, ladders and doors included.
What do You think about The Great Paper Caper. Oliver Jeffers (2009)?
Children learn that paper comes through trees. It's a cool thing to learn at their age.
—katty11
evan if your older than me you will never be to young for a baby book!!..
—pkallstrom
