Skippyjon Jones Snow What

Skippyjon Jones

by Judy Schachner

The #1 New York Times bestselling Skippyjon Jones stars in his own playful fairy tale set in a winter snowscape!

Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the bravest Chihuahua of them all? Skippyjon Jones, the Siamese cat who thinks he's a dog! While his sisters listen to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Skippy bounces on his big-boy bed and heads off for the REAL adventure awaiting him in his closet. Once inside, he finds himself in a magical snowy forest of make-believe, where the seven Chimichangos challenge him with his most dangerous task to wake up Nieve Que, the frozen princess, by kissing her! Yuck! Will this hero agree to don a prince’s pantelones and save his poochitos?

With rhymes, rollicking wordplay, and mucho fairy tale fun, this fuzzy tale is sure to end happily ever after.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Cats, Animals, Christmas, Fantasy

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

Judith Byron "Judy" Schachner is an American children's writer and illustrator. Her works include the Skippyjon Jones series. Schachner lives in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bob, and a dog and her two Siamese cats.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a few years since we read a SkippyjonJones book. This one is about reading Snow White and Skippy making up his own wonderful tale with a dragon and lots of chances to put in some good Spanish words to learn. It is an easy way to be exposed to a few words and it makes reading them tricky when you don’t know how to say the Spanish properly. Luckily, this had a CD at the end and after we read this, the next day the niece listened to the CD and told us all how to pronounce the Spanish words. I learned too.

Skippy is funny and a good read. I enjoy his antics. It’s a good book in the series. I don’t know how many there are, but I don’t think I recorded the ones we read. I need to look into it. This book did not have the Spanish word dictionary in the back like I have seen some do.

I’m reading books with snow in them to try and feel like it’s winter. This was a different type, but it had the mood of snow.

The nephew thinks Skippy is pretty cool. He loved when Skippy put some underwear on his head as a hat. He likes how feisty Skippy is and he gave this 4 stars. The niece is in a Spanish club and she read this with us after I asked her how to pronounce these words. She thought it was cute with 3 stars.

[Dest · Rating 2 out of 5]

One time a patron at the library asked me if we had any racist books in the children's section of the library (it was for a school assignment). Skippyjon Jones was the first thing that popped into my head because he fantasizes about being a Mexican Chihuahua stereotype (see: http://www.tuvez.com/five-stereotypic...). So, right off the bat, you know I'm not a big fan of these books. But I took a few minutes and listened to the author read this newest installment on the accompanying CD and I have to say I was very nearly charmed by her narration. It made me think, "Is this really any worse than Fancy Nancy fantasizing about being a stereotypical fancy French lady?" But, yes, it is worse because the French are not a marginalized community often subjected to harmful generalizations in this country. I continue to reject Skippyjon Jones, while also admitting that I see the appeal. Before you dismiss these books as harmless, I think you have to ask yourself how you'd feel reading one aloud to children of Hispanic descent. Maybe you'd be fine with it. Maybe, like me, you'd feel pretty uncomfortable.

See also: http://decoloresreviews.blogspot.com/...

[Sheri · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this to my students today. What an awful story. I wish I had stuck to my first instinct about the series and not wasted my time. There are much better and worthwhile books to read my students!

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

These books are so confusing...what even is Skippyjon Jones?

[Erika · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. Please stop publishing these books!!!!

[Ally Ramsey (MB)]

Text to Teaching Connection
In the story of Skippyjon Jones Snow What, my lesson plan would focus on our imaginations. I would pull a few words from the story to ask the students what they think it means as we read. However the important part would be seeing how the students view Skippy's adventure. Having them understand that once he stepped into his closet and it turned to a forest, his imagination grew big. After we finish reading, I would ask my students to use what they see in our classroom and have them use their imaginations to play and have a fun time just like Skippyjon Jones did.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a whole big combination of things... I'm not sure how I feel about it.

[Kathryn (Dragon Bite Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog, Nine Pages .

I really enjoyed this story and the parents really enjoyed this story, but it wasn’t holding the attention of my audience of three (two of whom admittedly were under one). I warned them and I will warn you that my Spanish is… pitiful. I studied in middle school, but it’s almost entirely washed away now. I don’t think that my poor presentation helped. I fudged my way through most of the Spanish and the Spanglish and probably pronounced a few of the words with more French or Italian than I ought to have done. Does the Spanish and Spanglish keep me from enjoying the story? In no way. Little Skippyjon is the only boy in a passel of girls, and he is outvoted when it’s time to choose a story. He storms away and invents his own tale of Snow What, where he is once again the famous swordfighter Skippito Friskito, is forced into tights by his friends the poochitos, and is forced to kiss the ice cube coffin of the princess to wake her from her cursed sleep. He cannot escape the tropes of the fairytale, but he can become the hero, can tell himself a story that focuses on the prince instead of the princess. I appreciated that this one had less stereotyping of Mexican culture than some in this series (the original tale) and I appreciated the, well, backlash to the backlash of the Disney Princess tale dominance. As important as it is for girls to see themselves as heroines, it’s just as important for boys to see themselves as heroes. This story also highlights the great power of imagination.

[Chinook · Rating 2 out of 5]

The word play is really fun, but I don’t quite understand what’s up with this cat who wants to be a chihuahua. It comes across as being a series of stereotypes to me.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parents need to know that Judy Schachner's Skippyjon Jones: Snow What has the energetic cat (who wishes he were a Chihuahua) reluctantly playing the part of the princely rescuer in a fairy tale. Conventional gender divisions drive the plot: Skippy is dismissive of fairy tales and repulsed by kissing and boys in tights. The princess has been frozen by a witch because she's "hot" and the witch is not. This is the eighth book in the popular Skippyjon Jones series, and it includes a CD with music and the story read by the author.



Educational value

This different take on the Snow White classic invites comparison with the original and other variations. There's also a smattering of Spanish vocabulary.


Positive messages

Don't be quick to reject things as just for boys or for girls -- there's usually something for everyone to enjoy. You may need to step up and do something you don't really want to do to help someone out (and it might prove not be a big deal after all).


Positive role models

Skippy has an active imagination and plays out his role and aids the princess despite his misgivings. Mama is a comforting, loving figure, and encourages her boy to be considerate and open-minded.


Violence & scariness

A princess frozen in an ice cube, a run-in with a fire-breathing dragon, and dogs armed with slingshots.


Language

Snow What has been frozen because "she is HOT."


This is from commonsensemedia.org

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, so, I feel like this book is trying to do a good thing, but is actually doing a very bad thing. There's a lot of cool Spanish in this book. I'm all about bilingual books, but this is... not good. The whole book is full of stereotypes. Additionally, the book starts and ends with some pretty intense gender roles. Basically the whole thing left a very sour taste in my mouth and felt very much like cultural appropriation. I found other reviews from people who had the same experience. I'm sure that kids would just find it fun, but as an adult it was a little disturbing.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 5 out of 5]

SkippyjonJones goes on another adventure as his sisters listen to the tale of Snow White. Cute, fun book and fantastic illustrations.

[Tomi Alger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another adventure for the chihuahua Skippyjon Jones. His sisters are enjoying the story of Snow White, and somehow he gets mixed up in such an adventure. I liked the story, but this one has more Spanish words in it than I remember other stories of his have. However, he looks pretty cute throughout his adventure.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was thrown off by the random Spanish. Like what?? The pictures were nice, but really didn't understand about the random Spanish and honestly there were a lot of stereotypes. I usually like all children's book. But not this. I am not sure what she was thinking when she wrote this.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I used to love Skippyjon Jones but now I kinda feel like it's all premised on the idea that a parent shouldn't really support a child identifying as something unusual. Which I'm sure will make some people roll their eyes, but I don't care. Not so sure about Skippyjon Jones anymore.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture Book

[Emily Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good addition to the series.

[Kalynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story. How have I not read this series before??? I love the embedded Spanish throughout the book, and the "Snow What" reminds me of something my uncle would say. :)

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun and light! The whole family got a kick out of it!

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second grade bilingual kids loved hearing me speak Spanish!

[Velia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that little cat.

[What April's Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical, sassy Skippyjon Jones. I can't read these too often, they make me a little crazy, but they're cute to read once and send back to the library.

[Ember Air · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love this one as much as I have the others. I'm not sure why, other than it was slightly more nonsensical? I'm not sure. It wasn't bad, but not my favorite.

[Sheree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three stars for the story line (fun mix of Spanish and English), and 5 stars for the art work! Thus the 4 star rating. I love the intensely pigmented pictures and playful pages. Gorgeous!

[Sabrina Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one of many Skippyjon Jones books, a series of books written about a Siamese cat who thinks he is a dog. In this book he chooses not to listen to his mother read a story to his sisters and instead goes on a daring adventure of his own, inside his closet. His adventure takes place in a wintery wonderland filled with hidden dangers and a problem that he needs to solve. The author creates a fun mix of 2 common fairy tales and Skippyjon’s imagination. I think students would enjoy guessing the 2 fairytales referenced and comparing the stories. She also uses several Spanish words that the students could learn using clues in the text and illustrations. A critique that I had for this book was that at times the words felt a little choppy and hard to read

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenges: Reading Goal Posts - Spontaneous Quick Read July 2021; Reading Goal Posts/2021 Stacking the Series - Priority Two/Tier Three. In this book, things that endear Skippyjon Jones to Mama Junebug Jones begin and end the story. Countering his sister's choice of 'Snow White' for their winter's night read, Skippyjon must process the story to suit himself as 'Snow What'. A bit short without a clear theme, but a snuggly tale around the holidays. As usual, the author's art in brushed acrylics and ink on watercolor paper makes for a visual feast.

[Anna-Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Skippyjon Jones are always engaging and entertaining, while still remaining different from one another. In Snow What, Skippyjon Jones has to make important decisions while on a quest to save a princess. At the end of the story, he realizes just how much he loves his family, even though he doesn't want to always spend time with his sisters. This book is filled with fantasy and imagination, great for reading to students.

[Justin Lantier-Novelli · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this book zero stars, I would. Not only is this another racist story written by some white privilege Karen, which is bad enough because there are dozens of better authors out there not being published, but the worst part of this book is that it’s so random and makes no sense it makes me think the writer was stoned off her gourd when she wrote it. The mom cat is the worst part. She says things that makes zero sense at all. These books suck. This one is the worst.

[Amanda Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this story, Skippyjon Jones, is off to rescue a princess, Snow What.

I find these books to be somewhat confusing and at times obnoxious, but kids seem to love them. With all the Spanish words thrown in, this book would be good for teaching non-Spanish speaking students to use context clues to figure out unfamiliar words.

[Cathy Hodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Fun kindle version of the book. The author, Judy Schachner reads the book aloud (with background music) as you read along and turn the pages. In this story Skippyjon (cat that longs to be a Chihuahua) listens to the bedtime story of Snow White. Skippyjon then dream a funny version of being the Hero of the Snow White story. It's a rambunctious tale with wonderful artwork. Enjoy.