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Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes

Illustrated by Barry Moser
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About The Book

Fox wants the grapes, but they're too high for him to reach. He's nothing if not crafty, and in this humorous new spin on the well-known fable, fox's scheme is taken to new heights.

About The Author

Photograph © Margie Palatini

Margie Palatini is the author of many celebrated children’s books, including Lousy Rotten Stinkin’ GrapesThe Three Silly Billies, and Earthquack!, all illustrated by Barry Moser, as well as Sweet Tooth and Bedhead, both illustrated by Jack E. Davis. She lives with her family in New Jersey. Visit Margie at MargiePalatini.com.

About The Illustrator

Barry Moser has won numerous accolades for his work, including the prestigious National Book Award for Design and Illustration and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. He is both an author and an artist, whose illustrations can be seen in books ranging from Voices of Ancient Egypt by Kay Winters to Hummingbird Nest: A Journal of Poems by Kristine O'Connell George. Barry Moser's work is represented in collections throughout the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, and the Library of Congress. He lives in western Massachusetts.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (August 11, 2009)
  • Length: 32 pages
  • ISBN13: 9780689802461
  • Ages: 4 - 8

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Raves and Reviews

"This appealing riff on the Aesop fable of “The Fox and the Grapes” is ideal for families that make a point of reading aloud at night…In “Lousy Rotten Stinkin’ Grapes,” a delightful third collaboration of author Margie Palatini and illustrator Barry Moser, the old story takes on a new texture as Fox tries to enlist one animals after another in his quest for the tasty treat…Mr. Moser’s renderings of the Fox are very funny: We see both the animal’s predatory authority and his egotistical foolishness when he is shown launching himself wildly at the grapes from various absurd locations. What really seals this picture book as a bedtime choice for children ages 4-8, though, is Ms. Palatini’s lively dialogue…In the end, as in Aesop, Fox stamps away disgruntled. But in this version, the other creatures feast cheerfully on the elusive delicacy that was, for resourceful them, always within reach."--Wall Street Journal

Awards and Honors

  • School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
  • CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council)
  • Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List
  • Charlotte Award Suggested Reading List (NY)
  • Monarch Award Master List (IL)
  • Bill Martin Jr Picture Bk Award (KS)
  • Chickadee Award Nominee (ME)

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More books from this author: Margie Palatini

More books from this illustrator: Barry Moser