luweebayy's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this book. It’s silly and whimsical although the ‘villain’ with his misspelling and mispronunciations did annoy me a little, bit I imagine it appeals as comic and funny to younger readers so didn’t knock off a star for it. Overall a fabulous book!
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
Imagine this, your uncle starts a fish factory, right in his house. You are moved out of your room into a cupboard. You get a chance to celebrate your birthday, and you win some goldfish at a fairground.
Then at night your uncle bakes and pulps your goldfish into a can for a new line, leaving you with one little goldfish.
What would you do?
a Stay home and plot a lovely revenge?
b Run away to the fairgrounds and travel with the people there.
If you picked a, then I would suggest you drop this book and find another one. This just isn't for you.
If you picked b, then congrats! You will love this book! Since Stanley does just that, he runs away, taking his one goldfish with him and joins the fairground people.
I really really loved this book. It was hilarious, silly, and a bit gruesome (the poor goldfish), you will shiver in delight at many of the things happening, you will cheer for Stanley in his many things he does.
Stanley was just a lovely character, I really liked him. I liked how he kept working hard, no matter what came on his path. I loved how he went from goldfish to piranhas. From a sad, lonely boy, to a boy with a superstar future!
The side characters were absolutely wonderful. Mr. Dostoyevsky was a great character, he really cared about Stanley, and for his daughter. Nitasha was a bit of grumpy character but you find out soon why this is like that. Then we have Pancho the man who swims with the piranhas.
What I didn't like or at least what confused me, was the DAFT agency men. It felt to me like the writer just put in a bad guy, and totally forgot to tell us why he put them in there. Their spelling was horrendous, atrocious, their ways mysterious. And I found it a shame.
But other than that little thing, the rest is perfect. I am sure children, but also adults will love this book and embrace Stanley.
Then at night your uncle bakes and pulps your goldfish into a can for a new line, leaving you with one little goldfish.
What would you do?
a Stay home and plot a lovely revenge?
b Run away to the fairgrounds and travel with the people there.
If you picked a, then I would suggest you drop this book and find another one. This just isn't for you.
If you picked b, then congrats! You will love this book! Since Stanley does just that, he runs away, taking his one goldfish with him and joins the fairground people.
I really really loved this book. It was hilarious, silly, and a bit gruesome (the poor goldfish), you will shiver in delight at many of the things happening, you will cheer for Stanley in his many things he does.
Stanley was just a lovely character, I really liked him. I liked how he kept working hard, no matter what came on his path. I loved how he went from goldfish to piranhas. From a sad, lonely boy, to a boy with a superstar future!
The side characters were absolutely wonderful. Mr. Dostoyevsky was a great character, he really cared about Stanley, and for his daughter. Nitasha was a bit of grumpy character but you find out soon why this is like that. Then we have Pancho the man who swims with the piranhas.
What I didn't like or at least what confused me, was the DAFT agency men. It felt to me like the writer just put in a bad guy, and totally forgot to tell us why he put them in there. Their spelling was horrendous, atrocious, their ways mysterious. And I found it a shame.
But other than that little thing, the rest is perfect. I am sure children, but also adults will love this book and embrace Stanley.
yellowhighwaylines's review against another edition
4.0
Typical Almond - lyrical, heartfelt, and the right balance between darkness and whimsy. For slightly younger readers than some of his others, this at times features direct addressing of the audience, reminiscent of Dahl at times. Almond can be an acquired taste, but I certainly enjoy his work. The illustrations and title text from Oliver Jeffers were a lovely addition.
froggylibrarian1's review against another edition
4.0
I have never read a book by David Almond and that's too bad. I really enjoyed his voice. There were some sections where the narrator spoke to the reader and it was funny and very insightful. I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
Stanley Potts was taken in by his aunt and uncle after his parents died but things have gotten a bit weird. His uncle has become obsessed with his new fish canning business and when he steals Stanley's goldfish and makes them into a new product Stanley runs away from home. He joins up with a man and his daughter who run a booth at traveling fairs. At the first fair he meets a man who swims with piranhas and who wants Stanley to become his apprentice. Will Stanley be able to do it? Will he ever see his aunt and uncle again? And what is up with DAFT?
Very quirky...I enjoyed it :)
Stanley Potts was taken in by his aunt and uncle after his parents died but things have gotten a bit weird. His uncle has become obsessed with his new fish canning business and when he steals Stanley's goldfish and makes them into a new product Stanley runs away from home. He joins up with a man and his daughter who run a booth at traveling fairs. At the first fair he meets a man who swims with piranhas and who wants Stanley to become his apprentice. Will Stanley be able to do it? Will he ever see his aunt and uncle again? And what is up with DAFT?
Very quirky...I enjoyed it :)
linzic01's review against another edition
4.0
“What if something like a piranha tank appeared in your life? What if somebody like Pancho Pirelli invited you to jump in?
Would you be brave and bold?
Would you face up to your fears?
Would you jump in?
You can’t know the answer, can you? Not really. You can’t know what you’d do until the very moment when you’re standing above the piranha tank and the piranhas are gazing up at you and showing their teeth.
It’s nice to wonder though, isn’t it?”
A heartwarming tale about a boy who- you guessed it!- swims with piranhas! There’s more to it than that though, obviously. There’s fish canning and DAFT envistigators and a hook-a-duck stall and so much more.
Absolute madness, as to be expected from a David Almond book. Fun, utterly daft madness, with cute illustrations and little pearls of wisdom sprinkled throughout. I think my favourite was:
“What is the purpose of living if there are no perils to be encountered and overcome?”
Fun and short and cute, kids I read it to loved it and I myself loved it.
Would you be brave and bold?
Would you face up to your fears?
Would you jump in?
You can’t know the answer, can you? Not really. You can’t know what you’d do until the very moment when you’re standing above the piranha tank and the piranhas are gazing up at you and showing their teeth.
It’s nice to wonder though, isn’t it?”
A heartwarming tale about a boy who- you guessed it!- swims with piranhas! There’s more to it than that though, obviously. There’s fish canning and DAFT envistigators and a hook-a-duck stall and so much more.
Absolute madness, as to be expected from a David Almond book. Fun, utterly daft madness, with cute illustrations and little pearls of wisdom sprinkled throughout. I think my favourite was:
“What is the purpose of living if there are no perils to be encountered and overcome?”
Fun and short and cute, kids I read it to loved it and I myself loved it.
smitz's review against another edition
5.0
This man is insane. Absolutely Barmy and Bonkers and Nutters himself. Such a wonderful book.
ceciliux's review against another edition
4.0
Una historia que nos cuenta que los sueños se consiguen cuando vamos por ellos y que la familia, la que tienes y la que vas construyendo con tus amigos o la gente que te rodea, es fundamental en la vida.
adrielleshay's review against another edition
4.0
"Every mind contains the seeds of weird and wonderful dreams."
wybrednamaruda's review against another edition
O chłopcu, który pływał z piraniami. Tym razem spotykamy Stana, który pomaga wujkowi w prowadzenia fabryki z konserwami. pewnego dnia trafia do wesołego miasteczka, ratuje przed śmiercią złotą rybkę i od tego dnia jego życie się zmienia i wkraczają do niego piranie. Ta opowieść spodobała mi się nieco bardziej ze względu na szybszą akcję. Jednak tu także znajdziemy przemyślenia, do których zostaną zmobilizowani nawet starsi odbiorcy: zaczniemy myśleć o naszej odwadze lub jej braku, o tym, co robimy w swoim życiu, a z czego zrezygnowaliśmy, bo obawialiśmy się niechcianych konsekwencji. Ta powiastka jest jednocześnie napisana nieco prostszym językiem, bardziej przystosowanym do młodszych czytelników.
Całość:
http://secret-books.blogspot.com/2016/10/dla-starszych-i-modszych-noah-ucieka-o.html
Całość:
http://secret-books.blogspot.com/2016/10/dla-starszych-i-modszych-noah-ucieka-o.html
dostojevskijs's review against another edition
4.0
Ever since Stanley Pott's parents died, he has been living with his aunt and uncle. They're great, really. But Stan's uncle recently got the taste for canning fish, and he has turned the whole house into a can factory – he's used up every room to the point where Stan lives in a cupboard, waiting for his uncle to get over his fish canning passion.
But when his aunt and uncle are suddenly thrown out of their house by the department of fishy business and his uncle cooks twelve of Stan's beloved gold fish; he sees no other choice but to leave. Thankfully, there's a circus in town and they offer to take Stan along with them. Suddenly, he is on a true adventure where he doesn't only have to clean plastic ducks and give out prices but he also searches for tents that suddenly appear out of nowhere and he meets the eccentric but brilliant Pancho Pirelli who is able to swim in a tank full of piranhas without getting as much as a chew on his ankle.
Pancho Pirelli sees something in Stanley, and offers to train him to take his place one day. But is Stanley bold and brave enough to dive into a tank of piranhas, and make his own destiny?
Stanley is honestly such a wonderful character. He is sweet, caring and has such a heart of gold – it is hard not to love him from the first page. He hasn't had any easy life but he is so concerned about all living things, and even makes sure the fish that he has to give as prices at the circus are well taken care of by making the winners sign a contract where they promise to take well care of the fish.
It's a hilarious and sweet story about bravery but also about family and caring about others than yourself. It is definitely a children's book but it's just as entertaining at the age of nineteen; at least almost, anyway. But I guess the difference is that a child would consider it an adventure story whilst I want to categorise it as a story about family and love.
God, I wish I could be more like Stanley Pott. Just a little bit. We should all be more like Stanley Pott. It definitely wouldn't hurt. But I guess every circus would be over-crowded with no actual audience if that was the case. Oh well.
But when his aunt and uncle are suddenly thrown out of their house by the department of fishy business and his uncle cooks twelve of Stan's beloved gold fish; he sees no other choice but to leave. Thankfully, there's a circus in town and they offer to take Stan along with them. Suddenly, he is on a true adventure where he doesn't only have to clean plastic ducks and give out prices but he also searches for tents that suddenly appear out of nowhere and he meets the eccentric but brilliant Pancho Pirelli who is able to swim in a tank full of piranhas without getting as much as a chew on his ankle.
Pancho Pirelli sees something in Stanley, and offers to train him to take his place one day. But is Stanley bold and brave enough to dive into a tank of piranhas, and make his own destiny?
Stanley is honestly such a wonderful character. He is sweet, caring and has such a heart of gold – it is hard not to love him from the first page. He hasn't had any easy life but he is so concerned about all living things, and even makes sure the fish that he has to give as prices at the circus are well taken care of by making the winners sign a contract where they promise to take well care of the fish.
It's a hilarious and sweet story about bravery but also about family and caring about others than yourself. It is definitely a children's book but it's just as entertaining at the age of nineteen; at least almost, anyway. But I guess the difference is that a child would consider it an adventure story whilst I want to categorise it as a story about family and love.
God, I wish I could be more like Stanley Pott. Just a little bit. We should all be more like Stanley Pott. It definitely wouldn't hurt. But I guess every circus would be over-crowded with no actual audience if that was the case. Oh well.