Grasshopper on the Road

by Arnold Lobel

Finding books for my two-year-old at the library, I've come to realize that we must read more Arnold Lobel. He's hilarious. My favorite is Small Pig, we've read it so many times I thought I owned that one but can't find it on my shelf so must look again. Just checked this one out a few days ago. Almost left it at the library because when I started to read it my little one immediately disliked and pushed it away, but I found I just had to skip the first segment (about the morning club) and then she was enthralled.

The stories are always simple enough, but have some underlying messages that make it entertaining and thoughtful as well. Here Grasshopper is simply going on a journey, walking on a road to see where it takes him. Along the way he meets different bugs, each who have their own idea of what's important and try to get him involved in their activities. There's a group of bugs who have a club all about loving the morning (they get upset when they discover Grasshopper likes afternoons and nighttime just as well), a bug obsessed with cleaning everything, a mosquito who insists on ferrying Grasshopper across a puddle that he could well just step across (very funny scene), a worm living inside an apple who freaks out when Grasshopper tries to eat it, a group of butterflies who do exactly the same thing every day, and a pair of dragonflies proud of their speed in the air who don't have time to stop and look at anything. With each encounter Grasshopper is polite but unmoved by their fervor, the other bugs are puzzled or upset at his indifference to their passions! He continues on his way each time.

Maybe my kid just likes this book because it's full of bugs who do nonsense things. I find it amusing as well.

Rating: 4/5     62 pages, 1978