Dooly and the Snortsnoot 
Jack Kent ~ G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1972
One of the most collectible of Jack Kent's books, this seems to be the title most people remember having read as a child. (Cheap skate that I am, I even paid $20 for a pretty flimsy Weekly Reader Book Club edition. Soooo worth it!)
There was once a family of giants. The father giant was taller than a two-story building. The mother giant was almost that tall. And they had a son, named Dooly, who wasn't any bigger than you. Now, while your size is just right for YOU, it's a bit small for a giant.
Yea, so sadly this Dooly never does get any bigger. He tries to "FEE FI FO FUM" and terrify his friends, but they just think he's funny. It's not until an evil Snortsnoot arrives on the scene that he grows the courage to become what he's always longed to be. After all, not until you do a VERY BIG THING, can you become a VERY BIG THING. Such a fantastic moral!
And such a wonderful story, really, on so many different levels. For a book about giants, it's the little things that make it so divine in my eyes. I love the fact that Dooly's shirt is always falling of his shoulder, as if he's not quite big enough to fit into anything (even when he does get big enough). I love how at pivotal moments, all the characters seems to have these dark circles of worry under their eyes, and how Dooly has them throughout the book except at the end when they get traded out for rosy cheeks. I love that the Snortsnoot is shaking salt on the little girl before he eats her. I love that the children "quiver" and "quake" with fear. I love, I love, I love. Not to mention it's my son's favorite Kent, so it's only fitting it should be the first review of the week.
Also by:
Jack Kent's Twelve Days of Christmas
I Was Walking Down the Road
The Grown-Up Day
The Fox and the Crow
The Biggest Shadow in the Zoo
The Animobile Book
Jack Kent's Book of Nursery Tales
Mr. Meebles
Cindy Lou and the Witch's Dog
Clotilda
The Blah
Jack Kent's Valentine Sticker Book
The Bremen-town Musicians
Round Robin
Just Only John
Fly Away Home
Fat Cat
Piggy Bank Gonzales
Socks for Supper
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3 comments:
Must keep a lookout for this :)
I've been wanting this one for awhile... and I've NEVER read it! *GASP* Ultra cute.
By the way, I am really looking forward to the "King Aroo" comics getting released. (it was advertised in the back of a complete "Bloom County" collection, and I immediately thought about contacting you about it, ha ha). IDW is going to make me POOR!
This book is fantastic! I loved it as a kid, so much so that I drew my own versions of the Snortsnoot in the blank spots. I've still got it, and I was inspired by your post to pull it out and post some pictures! (danmoynihan.blogspot.com)
Thank you!
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