This is yet another tale told in this writer's delightful style. I highly recommend this and all of her books. The reviewer from the American Library Association seems disappointed that the boy learns his lesson. Come on now!!! Helping adults and children learn from our mistakes is why folktales and fables have lasted for centuries. A lot of new stories do well to last a decade. This rendition should be around for quite some time. She gives the ending just the right touch in my opinion. I work in the public schools and I'm greatly concerned about the need to help children to learn civilized behavior. Children can learn from it but there is nothing preachy about it at all. It's like a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down.

In The Boy Who Stuck Out His Tongue, Edith Tarbescu retells an old Yiddish folk tale about the son of a widow. When his mother asks him to light the fire He just sticks his tongue out at here. he would rather make snowballs than help with chores. But then sticking his tongue out gets him into a problematic situation. When this happens, all the folk of his little Hungarian village rally to his aid -- and our young man learns an invaluable lesson. Judith Mills' colorful artwork is a perfect enhancement to Edith Tarbescu's engaging and entertaining story that will have young readers gleefully turning the pages, one after another!

The son of the peddler's widow is a lazy and unhelpful boy. When his mother calls him in from playing in the snow to help her light a fire in the stove, he sticks out his tongue and runs away from her. As she chases him, he trips and falls in the deep snow and his tongue sticks to a cold iron fence. The poor boy is stuck and his mother doesn't know how to set him free. She runs into the village and enlists the help of first the cobbler, then the butcher, the baker and even the cook. As a crowd grows, no one in the village can figure out a way to free her son. The boy, stuck to the fence begins to feel a little guilty and starts to cry. All these good townspeople care about what happens to him and all he has ever done is refuse to help them when they've asked. Soon a traveling blacksmith comes along and solves the problem and the boy is free, promising to be helpful whenever the villagers need him..... Edith Tarbescu has written an amusing folk tale that will delight and charm youngsters with it's silly humor and subtle wisdom. Judith Christine Mills beautiful, expressive and detailed artwork adds just the right touch and compliments the story perfectly. Together they have produced a warm and wonderful story your kids will want to read again and again. Perfect for children 3-8, The Boy Who Stuck Out His Tongue is a great addition to all home libraries.

This book is not only full of beautiful pictures, it is full of traditional Winter Holiday Stories from all religions. Included are the tales of Hanukah, stories of Jesus, the African Harvest Festival and even the Polish winter holidays. Its a great way for children to explore all belifs, while enjoying the rich colourful images. Its a book you can read time and time again.