Pinocchio the Boy

Pinocchio the Boy, written and illustrated by Lane Smith

Picture book for children ages five through ten

4 out of 5 stars

Everyone knows the traditional story of Pinocchio the wooden boy, but in Pinocchio the Boy, the traditional story is summed up in the first page followed by a comical continuation story of Pinocchio as he sets out into town unknown of his new real boy identity.

Pinocchio the Boy is not a traditional fairy tale. The original fairy tale, where Pinocchio is a wooden boy who comes to life, is full of magic and mystery. The way that Pinocchio’s nose grows longer when he lies teaches the valuable lesson that lying is wrong. This modern day continuation is more of a story than a fairy tale because it does not follow the typical pattern of traditional fairy tales. For example, no clear moral of the story can be defined. No struggle between good and evil exists. Instead, Pinocchio is unknowingly turned into a real boy in his sleep and endures a day of trials and tribulations because he does not know that he no longer is a wooden puppet. This is where power can be found in the story. Pinocchio’s ignorance of his real identity causes problems for him throughout the day. The little cricket who is portrayed as Pinocchio’s companion and mentor in life refuses to talk to Pinocchio because he doesn’t recognize him. At the puppet theatre where he was a big hit the previous week as a talking wooden boy, he gets booed off the stage and thrown out of the theatre. Lastly, when he tries to show a vendor how his nose grows when he lies, it does not work. All of these incidences cause Pinocchio to feel sad and ashamed and this is due to his ignorance about his identity. Being ignorant is something that can cause problems for people in life and in many different situations. Although Pinocchio the Boy tells a modern day story more than it follows the typical structure of a fairy tale, it still captures the audience with the collaged illustrations and funny story line. It also teaches an important lesson on ignorance.

Due to the fact that so many children are familiar with the traditional story of Pinocchio, I would use this parody in my classroom as I think my students would find it captivating as well as hilarious. A post-reading discussion and lesson on ignorance, as well as identity, would also make this a beneficial read. Another potential activity connected to reading this story would be a writing activity. In this activity, the children could take a classic fairytale and then write a different ending or write a continuation of the story, similar to that of Pinocchio the Boy.

Lane Smith Books