Clay Boy by Mirra
Ginsburg. Illustrated by Joseph A. Smith. 1997. 32 pgs. Greenwillow Books, New
York. 978-0688144098.
Annotation: An elderly couple creates a clay boy to love, but their
ravenous creation keeps eating everything and everyone he can find, growing
huge. Only a wily goat can stop him!
Reaction: What appears to be a Pinocchio story turns into
Frankenstein. Painted with watercolors, featuring art depicting rural Russia, and
told as a folk tale from the old country, the Clay Boy stands out as a crude,
earthen 19th Century example of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. My son
especially enjoyed the monstrous clay creation on his gluttonous rampage.
Primary early literacy skill enhanced: Narrative skills. The eating
of grandma and grandpa will come as a surprise to young children, but as soon
as they seen Clay Boy swallow a horse and cart, they will soon understand the
fantastical nature of Clay Boy and will enjoy predicting what he’ll eat next.
Recommended ages: Ages 3 and up.
Format: Picture Book.
Themes: Fantasy situations, folk tales, monsters.
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