The Flat Stanley Collection Box Set

Flat Stanley

by Jeff Brown, Scott Nash (Illustrator)

Stanley Lambchop is just a normal boy, with a normal younger brother named Arthur, and two normal parents. That is, until a bulletin board falls on him during the night and flattens him to half an inch thick! From this point on, Stanley will never again be just an ordinary boy. Whether he is flat, invisible, or in outer space, Stanley will have the adventures of a lifetime!

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Audiobook, Kids, Chapter Books

Paperback

First published February 18, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Jeff Brown had worked in Hollywood and as an editor and writer in New York before creating Flat Stanley, a hero for the youngest readers whose adventures, with illustrations by Tomi Ungerer, were first published in 1964. Flat Stanley became the star of a series of perpetually popular books. The last, "Stanley, Flat Again!," was published the year he died. All together, Stanley's tales have sold nearly a million copies in the United States alone. The character's life extended further, as schoolchildren mailed cut-outs of him to their friends. In translation, he traveled to France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan and Israel, among other places.

Jeff Brown was born Richard Chester Brown. Originally a child actor, he became Jeff Brown because Actors Equity already had a Richard Brown as a member. A graduate of the Professional Children's School, he provided a child's voice in a radio drama and appeared onstage.

In Hollywood he worked for the producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and was a story consultant at Paramount. Preferring to write himself, he sold fiction and articles to national magazines while working at The New Yorker, Life, The Saturday Evening Post, Esquire and finally at Warner Books, where he was a senior editor until 1980. The idea for Stanley came to him one night at bedtime when his sons J. C. and Tony were young and stalling for time. One asked what would happen if the big bulletin board on the wall were to fall on J. C., and Mr. Brown said he would most likely wake up flat. That led to speculation about what such a life might be like. After writing "Flat Stanley, " Mr. Brown went on to "Stanley and the Magic Lamp," "Stanley in Space," "Stanley's Christmas Adventure," "Invisible Stanley" and finally "Stanley, Flat Again!"

The Flat Stanley Project was started in 1995 by Dale Hubert, a third grade schoolteacher in London, Ontario, Canada. It is meant to facilitate letter-writing by schoolchildren to each other as they document where Flat Stanley has gone with them. The Project provides an opportunity for students to make connections with students of other member schools who've signed up with the project. Students begin by reading the book and becoming acquainted with the story. Then they make paper "Flat Stanleys" (or pictures of the Stanley Lambchop character) and keep a journal for a few days, documenting the places and activities in which Flat Stanley is involved. The Flat Stanley and the journal are mailed to other people who are asked to treat the figure as a visiting guest and add to his journal, then return them both after a period of time. In 2005, more than 6,500 classes from 48 countries took part in the Flat Stanley Project.

Reviews

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Dianna Geers for TeensReadToo.com

Stanley is a boy who certainly handles the unexpected. In the first book of this four-book collection, FLAT STANLEY, Stanley is suddenly flattened when a bulletin board lands on him. His worried parents take him to the doctor who says everything is fine. Instead of Stanley being discouraged by his situation, he discovers some perks that come with being flat. He's able to fly like a kite, go to California in an envelope, and even help catch thieves. However, being flat does get old. Luckily, Stanley's brother, Arthur, is able to help him out.

Stanley's life continues to be exciting, even as a round person again. In STANLEY IN SPACE, the President of the United States contacts Stanley and asks for Stanley's family to go into outer space. The Lambchop family travels to the planet Tyrra and meets the Tyrrans, who are very small indeed. The Tyrrans are having problems, but Stanley and his family know just how to help this distant civilization.

In INVISIBLE STANLEY, eating fruit during a storm proves to be just the combination to turn Stanley invisible. He's been flat, he's been to outer space, but invisible? That creates all new kinds of problems. And advantages. Stanley is able to help a stranger ride a bike, help his brother perform magic tricks, and help the police once again. However, when Stanley is tired of not being seen, he is lucky to have his brother help him out again.

When Stanley gets flat once more in STANLEY FLAT AGAIN, Arthur is not able to unflatten him. Stanley has entirely new sets of adventures his second time around as a flat boy. His flat body makes for a perfect sail and helps Mr. Jones to win a boat race. But when a little girl is trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building, Stanley, with his flat and flexible body seems to be the only hope for her rescue. Will Stanley be able to get to the girl? Will he be able to get her out without causing the building to collapse further?

Join Stanley and his family in their amazing adventures. Laugh along with Stanley as he enjoys the advantages of his differences rather than allowing them to limit him. Cheer for his courage as he bravely helps others. Imagine all of the things you could do if you were flat. Or invisible. Or in outer space. There are so many possibilities...

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for preschool or kindergarten students. A clever and amusing collection.

[Kaylee Warzecha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids thought that this book was hilarious and wanted to read it multiple times. Such a cute story with great pictures.

[Skyla Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One morning a yell came from the boys bedroom and the parents rushed in. A bulletin board had fallen on Stanley and flattened him like a pancake. He spent days living flattened and trying new things. Like, traveling through the mail, becoming a kite, and even stopping a robbery. But once he got some fame he started to get made fun of and didn’t want to be flat anymore. Arthur had figured out a way to unflattenedStanley; he blew him up with a tire pump Stanley was happy an back to normal.
This book was so fun and entertaining to read. It also had super cute pictures to represent what was going on. I remember reading this book in second grade and we got to make our own flat Stanley’s and see them around.

[Olivia Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a fun, easy read. I hadn't read it since I was in first grade, so I wanted to refresh my memory for when I become a teacher. This would be a great book to have students read and later make their own Flat Stanley. They could also send these off and learn a lot while having fun.

[Kaiden Aibhne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the original Flat Stanley book as a child and it still has the place of a beloved ridiculous story in my heart, but boy is it difficult to take seriously as an adult! Stanley gets squished flat by his bulletin board falling in him during the night and his parents don't even freak out! Neither does his doctor, or anytime around him. He just goes about his life having some cool adventures until kids start bullying him for being different. Then, seeing that he's sad, his younger brother comes up with the idea to re-inflate him with a bicycle pump and Flat Stanley goes back to being a regular boy! I can't wait to read this with my children and hear them laugh but as an adult reading this...oh boy. Sometimes children's literature is best enjoyed by its audience.

Stanley in Space is a fun adventure where the president of the United States sends the Lambchop family to an alien planet to make first contact with the aliens who have contacted Earth. A Lilliputian-inspired tale follows where the small people attempt to take them prisoner in order to save themselves. In the end, the Lambchops bring the aliens back to Earth where they are welcomed enthusiastically. A cute, heartwarming story!

Invisible Stanley tells the story of how Stanley becomes invisible after eating fruit near a window during a storm. He has some adventures in tv and foiling a bank robbery, and then his brother Arthur comes up with a way to make him visible again when it becomes clear not being seen makes him unhappy. I will never get over how no one freaks out when these strange things happen to him, especially his parents.

Stanley, Flat Again was my least favorite of the four books. Stanley finds himself re-flattened when he is hit from behind with a ball and bumps into a shelf simultaneously. He ends up saving a girl trapped under a collapsed building. He then plumps up again when she elbows him in the chest while he's being slapped on the back. A cute story that somehow lacks the magic of the other three.

Be aware that the last three books in this set reference events that happen in another Flat Stanley book that isn't included.

I think young kids will get a real kick out of these books and that you're in for lots of laughs!

[Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great book! It is great for all ages. It teaches the importance of being kind and dealing with jealousy. It had humor and sadness and teaches a bauble lesson. It is not a regular topic so you're always wondering what is happening next. It also shows themes of acceptance of yourself. Not to worry what other people think. In flat stanley there was a boy that was jealous of flat stanley. He got really jealous of him. But he became compassionate for him and helped him turn back to normal. It teaches that some people are different and it's ok to be. Flat stanley was starting to become really sad because he was not like other people. He loved himself at first but didn't like himself toward the end. It also teachers manners. Not to be rude too someone or jealous of them. Also not to want to be another person. Overall it is a good book. I really enjoyed seeing everything Flat stanley was able to do. I rate it a five stars because it has all aspects of a good book. It was etertanjng the whole time. It was overall creative,sad, lesson learning, and fun!

[Le Huy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, it's make me fell interesting because of author writing style and the illustration of the book. This book is a kind of adventure but it's also a funny book with a lot of funny situation. In conclusion, I just have one word to said:"Great".

[Bella]

I highly recommend this book it's a entertaining book and it has chapters and pictures .
I would say that it is ages 5-9 . Note: the images are black gray and white .
This book is perfect for kids . As we all like it it has a happy ending .
If you do read this book I hope you enjoy

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute stories, very old-fashioned. For example, Stanley’s parents consider it rude to say “Hey.” And these well-behaved children will apologize for this rudeness! Unbelievable! Almost as unbelievable as a child getting squished flat and not being hurt. :)

[Elise Hale · Rating 2 out of 5]

good

[Tiffany Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for young readers, odd storyline that doesn't always make sense. Some errors in grammar and sentence structure.

[Aryan Lal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny series about a boy called Stanley and how he turns flat and invisible every now and then.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite childhood memories is Flat Stanley. I always wanted to be him.

[Jennifer Puckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book

[Lydia Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to my kiddos at school today and they absolutely loved it & so did I!! We are reading more of these! ❤️

[Gary M. Gerstner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aboslutely love this series. Fun to read and go on Stanley's adventures.

[Jessica Riben]

Title Flat Stanley
Author: Jeff Brown
Illustrator: Scott Nash
Genre: Traditional Chapter Book
Theme(s): Family, Adventures, being unique
Opening line/sentence: Breakfast is ready.
Brief Book Summary: After a bulletin board calls on Stanley and he becomes as flat as a board, he is able to do things that he could never do before. He goes on lots of new adventures and enjoys his new body. Later he realizes that he wants to go back to his old body so his brother helps him return to his normal body.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Michael Fein (Audiofile, October/November 2003)
These four adventures of a certain Stanley Lambchop; his younger brother, Arthur; and their parents are certainly unique. One evening his bulletin board falls on Stanley as he's sleeping and lies on him all night. When he awakes in the morning, he finds himself to be only one inch thick. In these stories Stanley accomplishes such feats as becoming a kite and catching a couple of art thieves by posing in a painting. These stories are all quite delightful, almost quaint. Mrs. Lambchop, in particular, is winsomely prissy: "Remember, 'hay' is for horses." Daniel Pinkwater's performance is well suited to this work. His delivery is precise, deliberate, and understated. M.T.F. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine Unabridged. 2003, Harper Audio, Two cassettes, 3 hrs., Retail pak, $18.00. Ages 6 up.
(PUBLISHER: Harper Audio Two cassettes 3 hrs. Retail pak $18.00., PUBLISHED: 2003)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Brown, Jeff Flat Stanley: Show-and-Tell, Flat Stanley!
32 pp. HarperCollins/Harper 2014. ISBN 978-0-06-218976-9 PE ISBN 978-0-06-218975-2
(4) K-3 Illustrated by Pamintuan Macky. I Can Read Book series. Written by Lori Haskins Houran. Flat Stanley agrees to let his brother bring him for show-and-tell--because Stanley's good at wiggling his ears. As in the previous books, Stanley's lack of depth saves the day. Accompanied by pedestrian illustrations, the story has a whiff of tension and an accessible text. There's an alluded-to "real reason Stanley was going to Show-and-Tell," but it's not clarified.
Easy Readers; Show-and-tell; Family--Siblings; Schools--Elementary schools; Teachers
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
The first review talks about Stanley accomplishing feats and activities like become a human kite. The second review talks about how the depth on Stanley’s body saves that day and how his other books relate to this one. The first one gives more information about the stories, whereas the second one tells us the importance of the books connecting to each other.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: (3-4 sentences in your own words)
This books has great pictures that help the student understand the story and figure out words. This transitional chapter book is great for teaching the use of context clues and how to figure out a word the student does not know.
Consideration of Instructional Application: (3-4 sentences in your own words)
Students could imagine themselves flat, like flat Stanley, and tell what a day in that life would look like. They could talk about whom they would see, where they would go, and what they would do there. This would be fun because the students could share their stories and see if they have any places or activities in common with each other.

[Margaret Chind]

Genre:
Ages 7-10
Pages: Trade Paperback
Date Published: 2014
Publisher: HARPER

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

The original Flat Stanley was a fun read with the kids. They were amused by Stanley's adventures and I had fun reading it to them. However, the other books didn't hold our attention (neither the kids' nor mine) as well. We listened to some of them on tape, and then read the last one, Stanley, Flat Again. They just seemed a bit more contrived and forced. Probably a one-time read for us, but the kids might enjoy them again when they can read the books themselves.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

We read this entire collection at bedtime with my kids. I remember liking the first book as a child, but re-reading it, and the others in the series was actually a let-down. The plots were odd and I didn't come to love the characters at all. A good, traditional chapter book, however, that my kids enjoyed well-enough.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Flat Stanley Collection: Stanley, Flat Again!/Invisible Stanley/Stanley in Space/Flat Stanley
Brown, Jeff
A short story of the miss adventures of a little boy who is flattened and what he can do with the powers and abilities open to him.

[Jaquelinne Perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was fun to read. It was also fun to laugh at some of the pictures. I also noticed how much detail he put to the pictures and how he phrased it. I also liked how it taught you how you can always be helpful for everything even if you are flag like Stanley.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's for students. I learned about it from them. I loved the concept. He likes his predicaments, because they enable him to have adventures inexpensively and safely...I'm all for that!

[Poison · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute read it when i was younger!

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zach thought these books were hilarious as Stanley dealt with the different problems his flat, invisible, gigantic, etc. body faced.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book back in3rd grade, but do not remember the summary.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is so ah-dorable

[Gina Weibel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the first the best, but I always like a series to help me keep a book in the kids' hands!

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuet story.