The Purple Smurfs

readwriter - This three-in-one book is very funny. In 'The Purple Smurfs' is about a smurf that gets bitten by a Bzz fly. Then, he bites a smurf who bites a smurf and it just keeps going. Papa smurf and the remaining 5 smurfs-including papa smurf-have to find a way to stop the purple smurfs before it's too late. In the second story, "The Flying Smurf', a smurf wants to fly, but no matter what he tries, something happens that stops him from flying. Maybe he'll try sailing instead. In the third story, 'A Smurf's Neighbors' a smurf moves to the forrest, but that's not much better than his old house-plus there's a squirrel who keeps stealing his food and a mosquito keeps biting him. Maybe he'll move back to the village. I loved it!

August 15, 2010

Smurf-reka! In anticipation of a film scheduled for release in 2011, this previously untranslated version of the cerulean gnomes' first solo collection (1963) offers three tales: A fly's contagious bite turns nearly all of the Smurfs into aggressive purple grunters (black ones in the French original—here the translator wisely keeps the color change of Hanna-Barbera's 1981 TV adaptation); one Smurf's determination to fly results in multiple crashes and calamities; another's desire to find peace and quiet away from Smurf Village runs afoul of a mosquito and other hazards. Replete with pratfalls, butt-biting and like slapstick, the neatly squared-off comic-strip–style panels look small at first glance, but coated paper and high production values make both the dialogue and the brightly colored art easy to read. Reminiscent of Asterix in tone but shorter and less sophisticated, these episodes don't show their age, and they should find a ready audience of recent Toon Book graduates. Also available: The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (ISBN: 978-1-59707-209-6; paper ISBN: 978-1-59707-208-3), a retitled reissue of their first appearance as characters in an earlier comics series. (Graphic fiction. 6-8)

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October 15, 2010
Grades 1-4 If Belgiums two most obvious cultural contributionsa style of waffle and The Adventures of Tintinare to be roundly applauded, what are we to say about the dubious third, the Smurfs? Although adults will be most familiar with the fad and cartoons from the 1980s, kids now have the chance to see the Smurfs in their original comics incarnation, and it turns out they deserve a warm welcome back. In the three Belgian originals reprinted here, the chubby, blue Hobbit-like creatures battle an outbreak of purple that turns Smurfs mean, try to invent a way to fly, and go on a frustrating hunt for a little solitude, always watched over by the smart but tough-as-nails Papa Smurf. More than a touch reminiscent of the current Sticky Burr books, these clever, entertaining stories featuring simple, charming art and a low-key message of community will prove a guilt-free recommendation for kids seeking lighthearted adventure. Just the same, youll want to brace for the onslaught of marketing that will no doubt pave the way for the upcoming film.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)