Sniffles

Serendipity

by Stephen Cosgrove

Sniffles the ostriche always exaggerates in order to gain attention, but when she really sees an eagle, she knows no one will believe her

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction, Animals

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m rereading some books while continuing to clear out my shelves, and I have a stack of Serendipity ones that I plan to let go of (while keeping my favorites). Unfortunately, this is one I’d planned to sell/donate after reading it again, but I ended up enjoying it more than I remembered. I guess I’ll keep it at the 3 stars I’d given it before, although it’s probably another half star for nostalgia. There’s certainly something about returning to books you grew up with.

The moral is pretty simple: don’t tell lies or you’ll eventually (a) be unable to distinguish the truth yourself anymore (b) have no one left who will listen to and sympathize with you. It’s the boy who cried wolf, set in the desert, with a pretty little ostrich who’s part drama queen and part hypochondriac. (Maybe that’s what makes me appreciate her more.) She’s making up stories for attention, sure, but a part of her really believes them as she’s telling them.

Does the bit at the end really happen? Since it’s not illustrated, it seems like it might be something that happens in her head, but this time she’s wise enough (?) to not share it, because she’s lost her friends’ trust.

The other interesting bit, too me, is the dedication at the beginning, where Cosgrove essentially points out that such an overactive imagination is what allows him to be a storyteller. The ostrich’s flaw, then, was that she was presenting her stories as truth rather than elaborately creative fiction.

[L. Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much for the recommendation, Victoria Jansen!! This is a cute book series! My youngest and I really liked reading this book, and learning the lesson to tell the truth. The illustrations are great too!

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book series for kids that want to work toward reading chapter books but are not quiet there yet. Every other page has a beautiful illustration next to a page that is not overwhelming with text.

Embellishing a story to make in more interesting should probably be left to writers. Sniffles exaggerations happen so often that she can never keep her stories straight. Her fraudulent tales make her a laughing stock. This book reminded me a bit of Rudyard Kipling's "How the elephant got his trunk" story and other similar tales. This one could be "Why the Ostrich buries her head."

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok children's book, but not as good as some of the others. Reminds me of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'. Not an exact match, but I see similarties. Still as a child I would have liked it. I just wish that there had been pictures of the snake, the wizard, the eagle and the sword at the end.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing alliteration in this transitional reader (for a reader developing fluency and past the point of easy readers but perhaps not yet ready for 'chapter books'). Great diction, a lot of feeling in the writing by Cosgrove, and adorable animal illustrations by Robin James.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute children's book & teaches the lesson of "crying wolf".

[Joey Pierce]

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