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mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
3.0
My single reason for not enjoying this book is that the end message is to not be greedy.
That message makes no sense given what we know of John Midas. His problem is not that he's greedy. He doesn't eat chocolate that's not his and he doesn't steal other peoples' chocolate. He certainly eats too much of it and he has been known to convince others to give him chocolate. But, I wouldn't pin greed as his failing. Even when convincing others there is no indication he is swindling anyone.
To me, he's just a pretty extreme case of a boy who doesn't want to eat anything else. Many kids go through a phase of being a picky eater. Sometimes kids don't grow out of it either and if it's not debilitating in some way it's not a big deal that they don't have 'refined' palates. However, I can see it being a struggle for parents who want to ensure their kid is getting the nutrition they need to grow up strong. Particularly in the year 1957 when we were far less willing to try out patient means of working through pickiness and/or lacked in knowledge of how to go about doing so. Some pickiness is nothing more than contrariness on the part of the child which has to be handled accordingly.
This is pretty much where John falls. He likes other foods, but he loves chocolate and as such is unwilling to eat anything else unless forced. What kid would not want candy everyday? So of course, he's being obstinate.
Therefore the lesson should actually be about being open to trying new things. He can decide he doesn't like new foods after he's given them a legitimate try and comparing it to chocolate is a recipe for disaster. Nothing will ever compare to you absolute favorite food ever. But, you still have to eat other things anyway.
The sole reason it felt like it was 'don't be greedy' was because that aligned with the original tale of King Midas. The circumstances changed enough I do not believe that such messaging applied to the final product.
A perfectly serviceable read brought down a few pegs it did not have to lose for a silly, easily avoidable narrative snag.
That message makes no sense given what we know of John Midas. His problem is not that he's greedy. He doesn't eat chocolate that's not his and he doesn't steal other peoples' chocolate. He certainly eats too much of it and he has been known to convince others to give him chocolate. But, I wouldn't pin greed as his failing. Even when convincing others there is no indication he is swindling anyone.
To me, he's just a pretty extreme case of a boy who doesn't want to eat anything else. Many kids go through a phase of being a picky eater. Sometimes kids don't grow out of it either and if it's not debilitating in some way it's not a big deal that they don't have 'refined' palates. However, I can see it being a struggle for parents who want to ensure their kid is getting the nutrition they need to grow up strong. Particularly in the year 1957 when we were far less willing to try out patient means of working through pickiness and/or lacked in knowledge of how to go about doing so. Some pickiness is nothing more than contrariness on the part of the child which has to be handled accordingly.
This is pretty much where John falls. He likes other foods, but he loves chocolate and as such is unwilling to eat anything else unless forced. What kid would not want candy everyday? So of course, he's being obstinate.
Therefore the lesson should actually be about being open to trying new things. He can decide he doesn't like new foods after he's given them a legitimate try and comparing it to chocolate is a recipe for disaster. Nothing will ever compare to you absolute favorite food ever. But, you still have to eat other things anyway.
The sole reason it felt like it was 'don't be greedy' was because that aligned with the original tale of King Midas. The circumstances changed enough I do not believe that such messaging applied to the final product.
A perfectly serviceable read brought down a few pegs it did not have to lose for a silly, easily avoidable narrative snag.
book_wyrm3000's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lillyvannilly's review against another edition
4.0
Read this for a Battle of the Books competition at my Elementary School. It was a unique story and a good lesson to learn for kids. 4.5/5⭐️
julesreading's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
malolauren's review against another edition
3.0
Cute quick story with a good lesson about too much of a good thing. Both kids (6 and 10) enjoyed it.
labunnywtf's review against another edition
3.0
I forgot about this book, but my library just got the ebook of it. may be time for a re-read to see if I still love it.
whatsthestorywishbone's review against another edition
4.0
We needed a book that had a dessert on the cover for our reading challenge and we were limited in choices. This book had been recommended to me for Reid when he was much younger and fit the requirement. He and I alternated reading the chapters out loud over the course of an hour and a half. It is simple, would be great for a much younger kid (3-5). At 8 Reid already knew the story of King Midas from the Percy Jackson books but he had fun predicting what was going to happen and got giggling pretty hard in a few places.
mldavisreads's review against another edition
reflective
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Children's fiction, early chapter book length. I had heard of this book and recognized the cover but not actually read it until my son's school chose it for a One School One Book event. The chapters are pretty quick to read, and there are some illustrations (maybe one or two per chapter. I hadn't realized that this book was actually written in the 50s so it was interesting to see that in some of the dialogue and in the children's outfits.
John Midas loves candy, especially chocolate. One day he finds a coin that leads him to a chocolate shop. He looks around and chooses a box of chocolates. When he gets home, he is surprised to find that there is only one chocolate in the box. But boy is it good! The next morning, something strange happens. John's breakfast turns to chocolate! Not on the tray, but as soon as it touches his mouth. Soon everything his mouth touches turns to chocolate, whether it's food or not-- like the pencil he chews on while pondering his math test. What started off as fun turns into a disaster. How can John get rid of this chocolate touch?
This book is obviously a retelling of the Midas touch, but can be enjoyed without familiarity to that story. It's very much a lesson story-- you can't have sweets all the time, or more broadly that too much of a good thing can be bad. But it was an engaging story nonetheless.
John Midas loves candy, especially chocolate. One day he finds a coin that leads him to a chocolate shop. He looks around and chooses a box of chocolates. When he gets home, he is surprised to find that there is only one chocolate in the box. But boy is it good! The next morning, something strange happens. John's breakfast turns to chocolate! Not on the tray, but as soon as it touches his mouth. Soon everything his mouth touches turns to chocolate, whether it's food or not-- like the pencil he chews on while pondering his math test. What started off as fun turns into a disaster. How can John get rid of this chocolate touch?
This book is obviously a retelling of the Midas touch, but can be enjoyed without familiarity to that story. It's very much a lesson story-- you can't have sweets all the time, or more broadly that too much of a good thing can be bad. But it was an engaging story nonetheless.
micahs's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0