The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales
A picture book by Jon Scieszka
Illustrated by Lane Smith
Published Viking Press, 1992
Lexile: 520L
56 pages
found: recall from high school
Caldecott Honor Book
Usually I stay away from books with the word “stupid” in them because we were never allowed to use that word in my house growing up. There were three of us kids, each with varying levels of ease when it came to school, so “stupid” was truly insulting from one kid to another, and Mama let us know it was inappropriate. But the rich, exaggerated drawings of this book indicated that its tone is cheeky and ridiculous, so it felt alright with the understanding that it is not a malicious title.
The book itself is just teeming with sarcasm from cover to cover, literally. It is a collection of slightly off-kilter fairy tales in which a happy ending is either met by alternate means, or not at all. For example, there’s the story of the Ugly Duckling who in end, just stays ugly. And the account of a little man made of stinky cheese, olives, and bacon instead of gingerbread, who no one wanted to chase, but ends up dissolving in the river.
I like this book because it takes conventional “and they lived happily ever after” fairy tales and spins them into more brash, slightly cynical versions. It really encourages readers to look at fairy tales with a different, possibly more realistic lens. Yes, a more realistic lens does damped the magic of the fairy tale, but I think it teaches children to think critically about what they hear, and not just accept it as a truth. Perhaps a Prince Charming will not come riding in on a white horse, and what if the ugly duckling grew into an ugly duck? It’s ok.
I also love the illustrations in this book. They are composed of various mediums, including paint, pencil, and collage. Many of the pictures use a mix of Smith’s garish illustrations and real images (from newspapers, old photographs, and text). This mix of real and unreal lends itself well to the idea of looking at fairy tales more realistically.
I would use this book in the classroom to teach about humor and cynicism. After reading the book, I’d ask them what made these stories humorous? Students would work in small groups to choose a fairy tale and twist it around so that odd and funny things happen instead of the norm. I would encourage them to create an ending that’s slightly shocking and outlandish.
