I picked this up for my kid at the library, flipped through it real quick to scan for possible emotional potholes and decided that it was so ironic and tongue-in-cheek that it would be fine.And it was. My son laughed and laughed and laughed. Then I read it and laughed and laughed and laughed. MT Anderson is funny. And funny in a way that appeals to a seven year old and his jaded mother. Both.This is not one of those books that tries too hard to be clever. This is one of those books that just simply IS clever. The very embodiment of it. Ostensibly a spoof of the children's literature of the 50s and 60s it is also an homage; an homage to Nancy Drew and Tom Swift and the pulp, series children's books of that era. There is the promotion of Gargletine, Jasper Dash's drink of choice and fake ads for books starring Jasper Dash (the Tom Swift character who says things like "Great Scott! Will these cads never cease mocking my jumpsuit?") and Katie Mulligan (kind of cross between Nancy Drew and Buffy the Vampire Slayer). One of the fake ads features an asterisk next to the declaration "AVAILABLE AT FINE STORES NEAR YOU!" The accompanying footnote, which occupies the bottom of seven pages, starts thusly; "No longer available on the shelves at fine stores near you. Available now exclusively and by special arrangement on the shelves of old vacation rental cottages, where you can often find Jasper Dash books in the living room, as well as old National Geographics, Chinese checkers, half colored-in Herbie the Love Bug activity books from 1978, used up Mad Libs, and dog-eared, boring novels for adults by Leon Uris, Colleen McCullough, and James Michener, I mean big, thick books with names like Space and Novel, you know what I mean ... all the books are dry and yellow from the sun, and all of them have wrinkly pages from the salt water, and when you flip through them, sand falls out as if it was index cards marking the place of former summers ..."The dialogue runs from clever to even more clever and nothing is sacred."The whale fired his laser-beam eyes. The girls felt the jolt as the laser beam bounced off the mirror. Of course the girls didn't feel the jolt as the laser bounced off the mirror, because lasers are just light. This story is highly scientific, and I would never mislead you. I want to depict whale eye-laser technology as accurately as possible. Instantaneously the laser doubled back on itself, a continuous stream of light-using all the standard oculo-incendiary prohulsifiers and megegolisms that you'd expect ..."And the "Guide for Reading and Thinking" was a nice touch.Anderson continued Whales on Stilts into a series called Pals in Peril. I've not yet read the follow-up books but if they are only 50 percent as clever and enjoyable as this one, they will be worth your time.Highly recommend.
M.T. Anderson’s science fiction book Whales on Stilts! is a great example of why students should read stories to elaborate on their inventive imaginations! Lily, Katie and Jasper embark on the adventure of a lifetime. The three friends discover the secret plan of the half-whale, half-person boss of Lily’s father. Will Larry succeed with his plans to take over the world by placing whales on stilts, or will the three tough friends be able to stop this evasion to save the world? a.) The creativity and imagination set through the language and tone keep the reader on the edge of their seat throughout the entire book!b.) Lily was able to figure out the secret plan of taking over the world from a man “with a grain sack over his head with two holes cut out for his eyes” and “blue, rubbery hands” (p. 13). The three friends fly above the ocean eating breakfast, ride from guards on “the Bullet-Mobile” and take on huge whales to keep their neighbors, family and friends safe from laser-eyed walking whales (p. 50).c.) The scientific tale includes a “mule treadmill” for the photocopy machine, whales that “can invade the land” with “laser-beam eyes” and a man who’s “mother was a razorback whale”, who married his father who “was a very lonely sailor” (p. 30, p.90, p.56). In my classroom, I would assign students to read this story to open their imaginations and different interpretations. Scientific books are a great way to create debate in the classroom and hear the different opinions and feelings from the students. The story has adventure, suspense and intriguing text, suitable for any upper elementary school student. Whales on Stilts! lessons would include activities inviting the students to use their imagination to think of ways if which they would help save the world from a half-whale man and his walking whales on stilts. (I am sure this would lead way to great presentations!)
Do You like book Whales On Stilts (2006)?
While it pains me to give the literary love of my good friend's life a single star, it's something I feel I must do.The humor was wry, which I appreciate, but somehow off the mark. I could see how some people might find this book hysterically funny, I really could. But like watching the movie The 40 Year Old Virgin, I was the cheese standing alone NOT laughing. I have no doubt other find it funny, but I am not others and I simply didn't buy in. Sigh.Too over the top. Who is his intended audience, anyway?
—Nicole
I picked this up on a whim -- crazy premise, looked wacky, on sale at Half-Price Books.By the end of the book I had wept, I had felt a nostalgic sense of loss, I had been delighted, I had wept some more and I had a new favorite book. Such is the power of Whales On Stilts!: ostensibly a facetious YA bundle of yuks, it articulates emotions that are difficult to face within oneself, let alone express to others. Plus there's a photocopy machine rugged up to work with a donkey. Genius, true genius, moves you in many ways.
—Doc Rotwang!
Here's a kind of a different little story--I found it quite funny and amusing, and a neat spoof on B movies. Amongst the silliness of whales on stilts taking over the world, though, there are also some more thoughtful points, like how the heroine is not as flashy or brilliant or outgoing as her friends are--yet she still saves the day. Also there are one or two really beautiful passages that are kind of startling, coming as they do sandwiched in between the humor. I also liked the hilarious "questions for study" at the end. One of my favorites: "What is the theme of this book? Hum it in its entirety." (as in, musical theme)
—Qt
