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Title: Lovable Lyle (Lyle the Crocodile)
ISBN: 0395253780
Author:
Bernard Waber
Publicate Date: 1977-04-27
Publish: 1977-04-27
List Price: $6.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $2.99
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.01
Amazon Merchant Price: $6.95
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| Customer Review: |
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1: I don't recommend this book.
I saw this book on my parents' bookshelf, so I happily picked it up to read it to my 3-yr old son. Big mistake. The book could best be described as a period piece that, while charmingly illustrated, goes to lengths to show the inherent cruelty of prejudice. Lyle encounters a girl who hates him and leaves him vicious hate mail. In the end, Lyle saves her life and she grows to understand and love him. My problem with the book is two-fold: First, the hatred she feels for Lyle is way over the top for my son to hear. It's just way too ugly for him to comprehend at this age. Second, I have a problem with the victim having to prove himself to the hater. It seems to me that the victim shouldn't have to redeem himself or prove his worth in any way. The entire premise is that people who are hated need to find a way to be loved and that's just wrong. It's the haters who need to change. The book's lesson is not about tolerance; it's about appeasement.
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2: Good enough
Lyle is just so lovable.
Unfortunately... not everybody thinks so. Some people are irrationally prejudiced against the idea of living with a crocodile, imagine! He's been getting hate mail. (Oh dear.)
Luckily, his charm and heroism save the day (again) and he wins over everybody.
This one is a bit wordy - save it for the older end of the 4-8 crowd.
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3: A quality book-- they don't make them like this anymore!
I picked up this book at a used book sale and I am glad that we found it. The language used in this book is very rich and vivid, in a style that is almost impossible to find in modern-day children's literature. It is a book full of wonderful expression that lends itself well to being read aloud or even for storytelling without illustrations. Imagine that-- a children's picture book where the text can actually stand alone! They don't publish books like that anymore!
I have not felt that "I hate you" in Clover Sue's letters to Lyle is inappropriate at all. Compared to the way children DO talk to each other and the models they get from the TV they watch nowadays, "I hate you" and "your enemy" are incredibly tame! The fact is that children hear and produce this kind of language and this book is intended to confront that kind of language and deal with it, not to encourage it. The book is explicit about the effect of those simple words on Lyle, and how much they hurt his feelings and gives a model of how he and his family dealt with them.
The subject matter is as timely today as it was when the book was first published. As an Arab-American family it has helped our children deal with the prejudice we have been faced with in the "post 9-11 world".
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4: Bound to be a child's favorite
Lyle is a kind, gentle crocodile that lives with the Primm family on East 88th Street. Everyone loves Lyle, so it is surprising when the crocodile starts receiving hate notes through the mail slot. No one is able to catch the person leaving the notes, and each note expresses a growing detest of the lovable reptile. Lyle becomes very disturbed by the notes, and endeavors to be even nicer than he was before, helping strangers and using his manners whenever he has the opportunity. But the letters keep arriving.
Finally, the family notices a little girl hanging around the house. The little girl, called Clover, is new to the neighborhood and runs away each time the family tries to greet her. Mrs. Primm eventually catches Clover red-handed as she is about to drop a note through the slot. But why does Clover hate Lyle so much?
The story is an excellent example of overcoming prejudice. Lyle has a enemy because people tend to fear what they don't understand, not because he has done anything to offend anyone. It teaches children what harm can come from ignorance and hate. In the end, the oppressed takes the high road and triumphs while the oppressor sees the error of their ways.
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5: Very Interesting Allegory
This is a great contribution to the Lyle universe, an interesting episode in that wacky, lovable crocodile's life. It is also a terrific commentary on race/ethnic relations in the U.S. What seems to be one woman's random hatred of a reptile and the effects of her animosity (i.e., her daughter becomes a blind hater, too) can be read as an allegory for the difficult negotiations of majority and minority communities in America. Originally published in 1969, this narrative clearly comments on the irrationality of discrimination and serves as a teaching tool for parents looking to guide their children toward a path of tolerance and acceptance. Incredible feat for a simple little book.
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