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Grasshopper on the Road
From Arnold Lobel, the beloved author and illustrator of the Newbery Honor and Caldecott Honor award-winning Frog and Toad books, comes a sweet, timely twist on a classic fable. One morning Grasshopper finds a lovely road to follow. Off he goes on his journey, past plenty of busy characters. They wonder why Grasshopper isn’t as busy as they are. But Grasshopper—well, he is happy just walking down the road. Arnold Lobel's beloved Level 2 I Can Read classic was created for kids who read on their own but still need a little help. The classic Frog and Toad stories by Arnold Lobel have won numerous awards and honors, including a Newbery Honor, a Caldecott Honor, ALA Notable Children’s Book, Fanfare Honor List ( Horn Book ), School Library Journal Best Children’s Book, and Library of Congress Children’s Book.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1978
15 people are currently reading
627 people want to read
About the author
Arnold Lobel
308 books577 followersArnold Stark Lobel was a popular American author of children's books. Among his most popular books are those of the Frog and Toad series, and Mouse Soup, which won the Garden State Children's Book Award from the New Jersey Library Association.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
July 23, 2023
This is one of the best books ever written and it's only a level reader.
A level reader uses vocabulary appropriate for a particular reading level and is usually devoid of plot.
This level reader is insightful and allegorical and biblical in its proportions. You heard me right. Next time you are in a room of adults with toddlers, bring up an Arnold Lobel title (Like Frog and Toad are Friends) and every parent will start amazing you with plot lines like so many children's variety show personalities... and I will tell you why.
What he wrote delights a person to share them, and ALSO delights the recipient to hear them. Don't ask me how. Just know that these level readers have every literary device used in adult fiction, but are restricted to level vocabulary and typical children's characters and settings.
Grasshopper On the Road is about The Everyman's journey through life meeting different personalities, but learning to retain one's self.
Grasshopper meets some non-normally presenting characters and all of them lay a trip on him for not becoming like them, but Grasshopper resists. In the end, his journey has been effective, because he has retained his own self along the way.
Oh, but you don't care. You, along with your child, just laughed at the sweet little characters and funny dialog. But what happens to you is a little more profound. You can never forget these stories, now. Like a parent story zombie, whenever in life there is a trigger, you will recite the plot quite easily and someone else will then go read it.
I support the saying, "If it is worth buying, you do not have to sell it." Well, this book will never need advertising. The drones will take care of it.
And now my job is done here.
A level reader uses vocabulary appropriate for a particular reading level and is usually devoid of plot.
This level reader is insightful and allegorical and biblical in its proportions. You heard me right. Next time you are in a room of adults with toddlers, bring up an Arnold Lobel title (Like Frog and Toad are Friends) and every parent will start amazing you with plot lines like so many children's variety show personalities... and I will tell you why.
What he wrote delights a person to share them, and ALSO delights the recipient to hear them. Don't ask me how. Just know that these level readers have every literary device used in adult fiction, but are restricted to level vocabulary and typical children's characters and settings.
Grasshopper On the Road is about The Everyman's journey through life meeting different personalities, but learning to retain one's self.
Grasshopper meets some non-normally presenting characters and all of them lay a trip on him for not becoming like them, but Grasshopper resists. In the end, his journey has been effective, because he has retained his own self along the way.
Oh, but you don't care. You, along with your child, just laughed at the sweet little characters and funny dialog. But what happens to you is a little more profound. You can never forget these stories, now. Like a parent story zombie, whenever in life there is a trigger, you will recite the plot quite easily and someone else will then go read it.
I support the saying, "If it is worth buying, you do not have to sell it." Well, this book will never need advertising. The drones will take care of it.
And now my job is done here.
June 15, 2013
Grasshopper, do you really do something different every day of your life?
Always, said Grasshopper.
Always and always!
--
Grasshopper was tired. He lay down in a soft place. He knew that in the morning the road would still be there, taking him on and on to wherever he wanted to go.
---
To read often with everyone, best read out loud.
Always, said Grasshopper.
Always and always!
--
Grasshopper was tired. He lay down in a soft place. He knew that in the morning the road would still be there, taking him on and on to wherever he wanted to go.
---
To read often with everyone, best read out loud.
September 9, 2025
It can't be as good as Frog & Toad, can it? Or Owl at Home? I'll be thrilled if it's just in the same ballpark.... (Meanwhile, how did I miss all these decades?)
---
Ok, wow.
I recommend every family read this together. Every chapter teaches a lesson, in a humorous way.
Travel really does help one understand other people, other points of view.
Just because one loves morning doesn't mean that one mustn't also love afternoon & night, does it?
If my house is ever destroyed, I hope I have worm's attitude.
I'm glad my mother isn't *quite* as tidy as housefly, but she has been known to sweep the street that approaches her driveway.
Certain rules, and traditions, need to be broken/ reset.
And, of course, don't rush through the journey, either the literal one or through life itself.
I'm so glad OKC owns this so I could finally fill in a gap in my reading.
---
Ok, wow.
I recommend every family read this together. Every chapter teaches a lesson, in a humorous way.
Travel really does help one understand other people, other points of view.
Just because one loves morning doesn't mean that one mustn't also love afternoon & night, does it?
If my house is ever destroyed, I hope I have worm's attitude.
I'm glad my mother isn't *quite* as tidy as housefly, but she has been known to sweep the street that approaches her driveway.
Certain rules, and traditions, need to be broken/ reset.
And, of course, don't rush through the journey, either the literal one or through life itself.
I'm so glad OKC owns this so I could finally fill in a gap in my reading.
January 11, 2020
Change is good and beautiful. It’s lovely to notice the differences in each day. 😀
April 18, 2025
Si muselo dojsť na to, že niektorá Lobelova kniha sa mi bude predsa len menej páčiť než ostatné. Keďže mojou favoritkou je Myšacia polievočka, Lúčny koník sa so svojím putovaním nechytá. Ale typická láskavosť z toho ide tak či tak a verím, že pre iných je práve táto kniha tou najobľúbenejšou.
April 22, 2020
My mother included this in a "sorry the pandemic closed all the libraries" book care package, and it has quickly become a favorite. I don't remember it...I think I must have read it, since I read all the Frog and Toad books, but maybe somehow it eluded me. It is so great. It is weird the way Frog and Toad books are weird. Both my 2 year old and 5 year old love it and demand it constantly. My favorite part is the beetles in the "Up with Mornings" club, who quickly turn on Grasshopper when he admits he also likes afternoons. My kids will just randomly quote the morning-loving beetles at the dinner table now. I also love the butterflies who do the same thing every day. I think my kids like the mosquito ferryman the best. This is a great book for doing voices, since you can create a new one for each different kind of bug.
December 7, 2018
One of Lobel's most charming works, which I may have missed as a child, or else forgotten.
There is a dense, fabulist texture to these simple stories of a grasshopper traveling from place to place, meeting various insects. The grasshopper's sanguine, live-and-let-live attitude allows us to appreciate the idiosyncrasies of characters like morning beetles, routine-bound butterflies, and the proud mosquito. It reminds me that living in a community, any community, will run you up against a host of personalities, some more mystifying than others—but that ultimately, sticking to your own road and journeying your own journey is the way forward.
I love Arnold Lobel.
There is a dense, fabulist texture to these simple stories of a grasshopper traveling from place to place, meeting various insects. The grasshopper's sanguine, live-and-let-live attitude allows us to appreciate the idiosyncrasies of characters like morning beetles, routine-bound butterflies, and the proud mosquito. It reminds me that living in a community, any community, will run you up against a host of personalities, some more mystifying than others—but that ultimately, sticking to your own road and journeying your own journey is the way forward.
I love Arnold Lobel.
October 14, 2013
GRASSHOPPER ON THE ROAD is a great book. Grasshopper wanted to go on a journey. First, he met beetles. The beetles said, "Morning is Tops." Second, he met a worm. The worm said, "There is a hole in my roof," because Grasshopper took a bite of the apple that the worm was living in. Third, he met a housefly. The housefly swept dust in his eyes. Fourth, he met a mosquito. The mosquito said, "You must hop in my boat." Fifth, he met butterflies. The butterflies do the same thing everyday. Sixth, he met dragonflies. The dragonflies led him to a comfy place. Last, he went to sleep.
December 1, 2017
This is one of my favorite books to read to the kids. It is well written and some of the situations seem silly at first glance, but the book has a good message. Grasshopper meets all sorts of interesting "people" along the way and each provides a life lesson. I especially like the part where Grasshopper meets the beetles and how he reacts to them. Recommended.
July 9, 2021
On some days you need to curl up with a children's book which would remind you to smell flowers, look at sunsets, and reaffirm that it is okay to love mornings, afternoons, and nights.
October 1, 2024
Maybe Grasshopper on the Road isn't as known as Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad series, or Fables, for which he won the 1981 Caldecott Medal, but it's on the next tier. Released in 1978, the book was part of the prime years that positioned Mr. Lobel as an all-time legend of children's literature. Grasshopper's journey begins as most do: he makes a choice to move rather than stand still. Ofttimes in life we aren't sure what road to start down, but you'll never go anywhere unless you choose a path and walk, trusting that wherever it leads, you’ll make the most of it. With that in mind, Grasshopper picks his path and our story begins.
Shortly down the road Grasshopper meets the "We Love Morning Club", a group of beetles holding signs and cheering the crisp, bright morning. They are thrilled when Grasshopper agrees mornings are joyful, but their enthusiasm screeches to a halt at his remark that a golden afternoon is nice as well, and night can be pleasant. The beetles hurl insults and expel Grasshopper, a traitor for entertaining thoughts that don't toe the party line. Well...if diversity of opinion isn't welcome, he’ll move on. Happening across a juicy apple in the path, Grasshopper pauses for lunch, but finds he's just taken a bite from the roof of a worm's house. Grasshopper accidentally sets the apple and its frazzled tenant rolling downhill, the screaming creature's household interior in chaos. The house is destroyed, but finding a new one isn't so tall a task as the worm had implied. What comes easily goes just as easily, and when you live in highly perishable structures, you must be prepared for them to fall apart.
Further down the way Grasshopper meets a housefly with a broom, sweeping dust. The fly’s fixation began one day after noticing all the dirt In his home. After cleaning house, he realized the outside world is messier than his place ever was. Now he intends to expand his cleaning to the entire planet. Grasshopper suggests he rest and enjoy his own clean home, but not everyone can be persuaded. Some embark on crusades to bring the whole world into alignment, a task too tall for any mortal being. Grasshopper just waves, and mosies along. At a puddle, he is stopped by a mosquito ferryman who insists the rules are everyone must ride his boat across. Grasshopper could easily hop the puddle, but the mosquito grows irate when this is pointed out. Grasshopper can't fit in the boat, so he lifts and carries it through the water, which seems to appease the mosquito. Bureaucrat types obsessed with their own significance are inescapable in life; at least in this case, humoring the ferryman costs Grasshopper nothing.
In late afternoon Grasshopper sits on a mushroom to rest, and is accosted by three butterflies demanding he move. They occupy that exact mushroom every day at this time. Each moment of their day is mapped out, and they recite it to Grasshopper in detail. They enjoy delivering this spiel, and invite our traveler to return daily as a new part of their routine. Grasshopper declines; he is journeying in order to get away from routine, add spice to life, and pursue a goal. At evening, he is overtaken by a pair of dragonflies. They pity Grasshopper's inability to fly, but he assures them he enjoys the pace of walking: viewing lovely flowers, majestic mountains, multicolor sunsets. The dragonflies have no time for such; their job is to zig and zag at top speed, not ponder the world's beauty and meaning. Grasshopper beds down for the night, contemplating the path his life is on. Tomorrow will lead him in directions he couldn't possibly predict. He's committed to seeing the journey to its end, and who knows what that will mean?
Arnold Lobel's stories are timeless truths his hands cradle for a show and tell with young readers. I love that Grasshopper walks his own road while accepting differences among those he meets. He's richer for knowing people not like himself. Make a little space for others to live in their own way, and you make the world a better place. Grasshopper on the Road isn't as poignant as some of Arnold Lobel's best, but I rate it at least two and a half stars rounded up, maybe the full three. This is a work of literary art.
Shortly down the road Grasshopper meets the "We Love Morning Club", a group of beetles holding signs and cheering the crisp, bright morning. They are thrilled when Grasshopper agrees mornings are joyful, but their enthusiasm screeches to a halt at his remark that a golden afternoon is nice as well, and night can be pleasant. The beetles hurl insults and expel Grasshopper, a traitor for entertaining thoughts that don't toe the party line. Well...if diversity of opinion isn't welcome, he’ll move on. Happening across a juicy apple in the path, Grasshopper pauses for lunch, but finds he's just taken a bite from the roof of a worm's house. Grasshopper accidentally sets the apple and its frazzled tenant rolling downhill, the screaming creature's household interior in chaos. The house is destroyed, but finding a new one isn't so tall a task as the worm had implied. What comes easily goes just as easily, and when you live in highly perishable structures, you must be prepared for them to fall apart.
Further down the way Grasshopper meets a housefly with a broom, sweeping dust. The fly’s fixation began one day after noticing all the dirt In his home. After cleaning house, he realized the outside world is messier than his place ever was. Now he intends to expand his cleaning to the entire planet. Grasshopper suggests he rest and enjoy his own clean home, but not everyone can be persuaded. Some embark on crusades to bring the whole world into alignment, a task too tall for any mortal being. Grasshopper just waves, and mosies along. At a puddle, he is stopped by a mosquito ferryman who insists the rules are everyone must ride his boat across. Grasshopper could easily hop the puddle, but the mosquito grows irate when this is pointed out. Grasshopper can't fit in the boat, so he lifts and carries it through the water, which seems to appease the mosquito. Bureaucrat types obsessed with their own significance are inescapable in life; at least in this case, humoring the ferryman costs Grasshopper nothing.
In late afternoon Grasshopper sits on a mushroom to rest, and is accosted by three butterflies demanding he move. They occupy that exact mushroom every day at this time. Each moment of their day is mapped out, and they recite it to Grasshopper in detail. They enjoy delivering this spiel, and invite our traveler to return daily as a new part of their routine. Grasshopper declines; he is journeying in order to get away from routine, add spice to life, and pursue a goal. At evening, he is overtaken by a pair of dragonflies. They pity Grasshopper's inability to fly, but he assures them he enjoys the pace of walking: viewing lovely flowers, majestic mountains, multicolor sunsets. The dragonflies have no time for such; their job is to zig and zag at top speed, not ponder the world's beauty and meaning. Grasshopper beds down for the night, contemplating the path his life is on. Tomorrow will lead him in directions he couldn't possibly predict. He's committed to seeing the journey to its end, and who knows what that will mean?
Arnold Lobel's stories are timeless truths his hands cradle for a show and tell with young readers. I love that Grasshopper walks his own road while accepting differences among those he meets. He's richer for knowing people not like himself. Make a little space for others to live in their own way, and you make the world a better place. Grasshopper on the Road isn't as poignant as some of Arnold Lobel's best, but I rate it at least two and a half stars rounded up, maybe the full three. This is a work of literary art.
February 26, 2023
el millor llibre del món van meréixer la pena els 2,50€ q em costà el café a la llibreria pija on me’l vaig llegir
January 30, 2023
Grasshopper discovers all sorts of intolerance and unwillingness to grow and change. There is a beetle club, a housefly with OCD, an entrepreneurial mosquito who is also somewhat conceited, butterflies who love establishing traditions. There is also a worm's gracious acceptance of fate in a Mr Bill-esque sequence "My floor is on the ceiling! My attic is in the cellar!"
April 9, 2024
Little too easy for end of first grade. This was read in one sitting. That being said, we both loved the characters and the story.
Read
November 22, 2024I was cleaning our home library shelves today and re-read this.
Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad are among my most loved stories of all time.
Grasshopper doesn't quite inspire the same feelings, but I have to wonder - what does it all mean?
In Grasshopper's encounters on the Road, there's much just under the surface, not preaching at all. Lessons in tolerance and staying true to yourself. So many types of characters, represented by insects! Ok, I think it's probably actually genius.
Quoting another reviewer, Danielle, on Arnold Lobel's books: "Just know that these level readers have every literary device used in adult fiction."
Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad are among my most loved stories of all time.
Grasshopper doesn't quite inspire the same feelings, but I have to wonder - what does it all mean?
In Grasshopper's encounters on the Road, there's much just under the surface, not preaching at all. Lessons in tolerance and staying true to yourself. So many types of characters, represented by insects! Ok, I think it's probably actually genius.
Quoting another reviewer, Danielle, on Arnold Lobel's books: "Just know that these level readers have every literary device used in adult fiction."
February 28, 2019
There's a few funny tales in this book that your beginning reader will enjoy!
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
April 21, 2013
ReadtheShelf Challenge
I do not remember ever reading this one as a kid. I wonder if I did.
Anyway. It's not quite on the level of Frog and Toad but still. I am amazed at the level of writing. Simple, simple words ... but loads of meaning behind them!
I do not remember ever reading this one as a kid. I wonder if I did.
Anyway. It's not quite on the level of Frog and Toad but still. I am amazed at the level of writing. Simple, simple words ... but loads of meaning behind them!
May 16, 2013
This is such a pleasant book to read. Tonight at bed time, I was the one saying "one more chapter...one more chapter...".
Read
May 20, 2014x2
July 23, 2016
Children's Reading Adventures Book Club, Summer 2014
*D.E.A.R. Time -- Read to 4 & 5 year olds*
06.02.2014
*D.E.A.R. Time -- Read to 4 & 5 year olds*
06.02.2014
November 8, 2023
If I was that worm and someone rolled my house down a hill with me in it I'd be mad as hell
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2025
We cannot get enough of Frog and Toad (have read the lot), and while we enjoyed Owl at Home, and sort of smiled through Mouse Soup and Mouse Tales, it was this one that reminded me what I was searching for post-Frog and Toad Are Friends.
I hesitate to say it's the best book I ever read, but it's going straight onto my favourites shelf.
As far as I'm concerned, Frog and Toad Are Friends, Frog and Toad Together, Days with Frog and Toad, Frog and Toad All Year and Grasshopper on the Road firmly belong in every children's library, everywhere. I'm not even from the USA, and I didn't grow up with these. They're fab.
Elephant & Piggie is a newer series I can recommend, i.e. We Are in a Book!, by Mo Willems.
I would like to thank my long-time Goodreads buddy Rainbowheart for this recommendation, and also for that of Sarah's Unicorn - there are precious few 'early readers' worth reading (some are abominations), but these... these are underrated art.
I would also like to insist that every Nobel laureate for Lit., every Children's Laureate, should be pressured into writing an early reader book. That will soon separate the wheat from the chaff!
I hesitate to say it's the best book I ever read, but it's going straight onto my favourites shelf.
As far as I'm concerned, Frog and Toad Are Friends, Frog and Toad Together, Days with Frog and Toad, Frog and Toad All Year and Grasshopper on the Road firmly belong in every children's library, everywhere. I'm not even from the USA, and I didn't grow up with these. They're fab.
Elephant & Piggie is a newer series I can recommend, i.e. We Are in a Book!, by Mo Willems.
I would like to thank my long-time Goodreads buddy Rainbowheart for this recommendation, and also for that of Sarah's Unicorn - there are precious few 'early readers' worth reading (some are abominations), but these... these are underrated art.
I would also like to insist that every Nobel laureate for Lit., every Children's Laureate, should be pressured into writing an early reader book. That will soon separate the wheat from the chaff!
July 14, 2023
The grasshopper Everyman decides to journey by looking for a road and taking it.
("When you come to a fork in the road, take it."--Yogi Berra)
He meets different individuals in groups and solely. They attempt to persuade him to take up their beliefs. He stays the course.
SPOILER ALERT
Beetles love morning. They are also closed minded fanatics and unfriend grasshopper since he doesn't hold their exacting beliefs. Grasshopper maintains his beliefs. Grasshopper agrees to disagree and leaves without a disparaging remark.
He meets a worm (larva) in an apple who is a bit of a narcissist and blames Grasshopper for his misfortunes. When his circumstances are actually improved, he doesn't give thanks to Grasshopper for his contributions to his new circumstance.
He meets a housefly who suffers from compulsive cleaning. Grasshopper tried to help, but the housefly's compulsion doesn't allow it to stop cleaning, so Grasshopper realizes the housefly can not be helped without it deciding on their own.
He meets a mosquito who insists upon helping him even though he doesn't need help. Mosquito insists upon rules being followed, even when they don't make sense.
Grasshopper maintains his own lane on the path of Life. He communicates with others in a respectful manner and does not let the emotions of others affect his own. He is his own person and has his boundaries.
This is an excellent book to teach children that they do not need to react and become emotionally involved in the drama of others.
Calling names is involved. Children will meet others who do this. I don't like how it shows children how to call others names, but they will hear others being rude during their lives, anyway. It will show them that those who call others names and have unpleasant behaviors are the behaviors to be wary of.
_____________________________________________________________
Another explanation of the story as I saw it:
This book is a Hero's Journey. It's full of lessons, just like Life is full of Lessons. Grasshopper is the Hero. He sets out onto his chosen path of Life. He meets other individuals. Those he meets have their idiosyncrasies. Though Grasshopper does not fully agree with each of them, he does not retaliate when others are unkind. He treats all with respect and goes on his way in search of his own adventure, not theirs. He doesn't have a plan yet. When he discovers his calling, he will work on that. Until then, he is discovering the World, just as children are discovering theirs. They may learn from this story that they don't need to get involved in the trials and tribulations of others. They may listen to others, but not judge them, not order them to do anything, but, instead, go about their own lives without the need to be rude or interject themselves into the lives of others. It's not meant to be cozy. Life isn't always cozy. You can't expect it to always be cozy. Children need to learn how to deal with others being different. If they don't understand that there are boundaries, they will have disordered lives. Grasshopper's life is much more cozy than the lives of those he meets. They are all easily triggered. He is able to keep his mind calm, focused, non-judgmental, and full of curiosity. This book is wonderful for days like these.
("When you come to a fork in the road, take it."--Yogi Berra)
He meets different individuals in groups and solely. They attempt to persuade him to take up their beliefs. He stays the course.
SPOILER ALERT
Beetles love morning. They are also closed minded fanatics and unfriend grasshopper since he doesn't hold their exacting beliefs. Grasshopper maintains his beliefs. Grasshopper agrees to disagree and leaves without a disparaging remark.
He meets a worm (larva) in an apple who is a bit of a narcissist and blames Grasshopper for his misfortunes. When his circumstances are actually improved, he doesn't give thanks to Grasshopper for his contributions to his new circumstance.
He meets a housefly who suffers from compulsive cleaning. Grasshopper tried to help, but the housefly's compulsion doesn't allow it to stop cleaning, so Grasshopper realizes the housefly can not be helped without it deciding on their own.
He meets a mosquito who insists upon helping him even though he doesn't need help. Mosquito insists upon rules being followed, even when they don't make sense.
Grasshopper maintains his own lane on the path of Life. He communicates with others in a respectful manner and does not let the emotions of others affect his own. He is his own person and has his boundaries.
This is an excellent book to teach children that they do not need to react and become emotionally involved in the drama of others.
Calling names is involved. Children will meet others who do this. I don't like how it shows children how to call others names, but they will hear others being rude during their lives, anyway. It will show them that those who call others names and have unpleasant behaviors are the behaviors to be wary of.
_____________________________________________________________
Another explanation of the story as I saw it:
This book is a Hero's Journey. It's full of lessons, just like Life is full of Lessons. Grasshopper is the Hero. He sets out onto his chosen path of Life. He meets other individuals. Those he meets have their idiosyncrasies. Though Grasshopper does not fully agree with each of them, he does not retaliate when others are unkind. He treats all with respect and goes on his way in search of his own adventure, not theirs. He doesn't have a plan yet. When he discovers his calling, he will work on that. Until then, he is discovering the World, just as children are discovering theirs. They may learn from this story that they don't need to get involved in the trials and tribulations of others. They may listen to others, but not judge them, not order them to do anything, but, instead, go about their own lives without the need to be rude or interject themselves into the lives of others. It's not meant to be cozy. Life isn't always cozy. You can't expect it to always be cozy. Children need to learn how to deal with others being different. If they don't understand that there are boundaries, they will have disordered lives. Grasshopper's life is much more cozy than the lives of those he meets. They are all easily triggered. He is able to keep his mind calm, focused, non-judgmental, and full of curiosity. This book is wonderful for days like these.
November 24, 2020
A strange book. Grasshopper almost joins a cult of morning-loving beetles. An Apple-house rolls down a hill. A housefly is overtaken by sweeping mania. A gondolier mosquito forces all to take an impossible ride on his tiny boat to get to the other side of a puddle/lake. Three Stepford butterflies do the exact same thing everyday. Grasshopper keeps walking down the road and smelling the roses while flying dragonflies are too busy flying to see anything. Grasshopper explores for the sake of exploring, with no discernible plan or goal in mind. I mean, That kind of describes my life strategy thus for, so maybe I should like this book more. But it’s just not as cozy or sentimental to me as The Frog and Toad series or Owl at Home. Maybe this book is a manifesto against conformity and closed-mindedness? I remember reading this as a child, and it made perfect sense. I didn’t feel anything was lacking, and I didn’t read into any (present or absent) moral teachings. As an adult, I feel there is something I’m not quite understanding here… I will have to try this book again in a few months to see if it makes more sense.
April 4, 2018
The final passage goes like this:
"The world was quiet again.
The sky became dark.
Grasshopper watched the moon
rising over the land.
He watched the stars come out.
He was happy
to be walking slowly
down the road.
Grasshopper was tired.
He lay down in a soft place.
He knew that in the morning
the road would still be there,
taking him on and on
to wherever
he wanted to go."
Having just hiked my way across Wales, I am seeing the ending with new eyes. It's so simple, but powerful and full of beauty. It evoked the same sense of comfort that I had every night at the B&Bs sandwiched between my long days of walking across valleys, up hills, and over icy streams. The relief, the joy, the PEACE. Ugh. More than any other part of the book, the last two pages have a special place in my heart.
"The world was quiet again.
The sky became dark.
Grasshopper watched the moon
rising over the land.
He watched the stars come out.
He was happy
to be walking slowly
down the road.
Grasshopper was tired.
He lay down in a soft place.
He knew that in the morning
the road would still be there,
taking him on and on
to wherever
he wanted to go."
Having just hiked my way across Wales, I am seeing the ending with new eyes. It's so simple, but powerful and full of beauty. It evoked the same sense of comfort that I had every night at the B&Bs sandwiched between my long days of walking across valleys, up hills, and over icy streams. The relief, the joy, the PEACE. Ugh. More than any other part of the book, the last two pages have a special place in my heart.
August 14, 2024
This is absolutely a sweet and precious book.
It is about a grasshopper who walks down a road one day and has adventures with different insects. Each story is about his experiences with these insects.
1. The Club - grasshopper's encounter with beetles.
2. A New House - grasshopper's adventure with a worm and an apple.
3. The Sweeper - grasshopper's encounter with a housefly.
4. The Voyage - grasshopper's encounter with a mosquito and his boat.
5. Always - grasshopper's encounter with a mushroom and three butterflies.
6. At Evening - grasshopper's encounter with two dragonflies.
The illustratioins in this book are beautiful.
I totally recommend this book for parents who are reading to their children or teaching them to read.
It is about a grasshopper who walks down a road one day and has adventures with different insects. Each story is about his experiences with these insects.
1. The Club - grasshopper's encounter with beetles.
2. A New House - grasshopper's adventure with a worm and an apple.
3. The Sweeper - grasshopper's encounter with a housefly.
4. The Voyage - grasshopper's encounter with a mosquito and his boat.
5. Always - grasshopper's encounter with a mushroom and three butterflies.
6. At Evening - grasshopper's encounter with two dragonflies.
The illustratioins in this book are beautiful.
I totally recommend this book for parents who are reading to their children or teaching them to read.
April 3, 2025
Pure wonder. It’s so hard to find children’s books that elicit and invite wonder, which is the most critical aspect of a “good children’s book”. Yet only the most gifted of authors and illustrators can pull it off. Arnold Lobel is one of them. And this book is one of his best. Unbelievably it’s a beginner reader book as well. With his command of language and imagery, Lobel is one of the few authors that can create a masterpiece with “easy” words. I don’t know why such a big deal is made of Dr Seuss books… Lobel can tell a story that, like a fairy tale, enchants the reader to see the created world with new eyes. No need for fantastical contrived absurdity. The world God gave us is more mysterious, interesting, and magical than anything one of his creatures could dream up.
April 19, 2021
Como yo, Saltamontes quería hacer un viaje. Una mañana, él encontró un camino y empezó a andar. El camino subía por una colina, luego vio una nube de polvo, pues, llegó a un charco de agua. Saltamontes conocí los escarabajos, un gusano, una mosca, una barquita, las mariposas, y las libélulas. Al fin, Saltamontes estaba cansado. Se tumbó en un lugar blando. Sabía que por la mañana estaría todavía allí el camino, llevando más y lejos a cualquier parte que quisiera ir. Saltamontes es una criatura sabia.
August 10, 2021
The illustrations were nice and attractive and
appropriate.
A just adequate storyline--plot.
Did I actually read the same storybook as these other people?
There were some sortof interesting bits in some of the
stories and I sortof liked the final short story.
I must say that I absolutely love some of the books by
Arnold Lobel. I really like the Frog and Toad series.
Chacun a son gout.
Children in general would probably like this book.
appropriate.
A just adequate storyline--plot.
Did I actually read the same storybook as these other people?
There were some sortof interesting bits in some of the
stories and I sortof liked the final short story.
I must say that I absolutely love some of the books by
Arnold Lobel. I really like the Frog and Toad series.
Chacun a son gout.
Children in general would probably like this book.
November 27, 2022
This is a new favorite in the Arnold Lobel collection! I think it is charming, adorable, and shows the subtle intricacies of the various characters we meet particularly in life of policy, economics, and the market place. My three year old does not like this book very much... yet. He tolerates it because I do great voices with it and read it enthusiastically, but we cannot ever finish it in one sitting, because he gets bored. I think he cannot yet relate to the characters (in comparison to The Little Pig-- which we read two or three times a day).
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