Why Geronimo Stilton Is Great For Kids (4)
This is the fourth in a series of five articles discussing Why Geronimo Stilton Books are fantastic resources for reluctant and/or emerging readers.
In the first part of the series we asked the question “Who is Geronimo Stilton and Why Is He So Popular?” and try to answer by outlining five reasons why Geronimo Stilton Books are attractive and rewarding reads for kids.
- The first reason was the series’ nontraditional use of fonts and colors in the text.
- The second reason was the dynamic and cartoon-like illustrations featured in the Geronimo Stilton books.
- In our third article we talked about the informative fact-files that add depth and understanding to the locations and concepts touched on in the story.
The 4th reason why Geronimo Stilton is a great book series for reluctant or emerging readers is the characters' humor and optimism. They are a funny bunch of mice and optimistically look for solutions to problems, regardless of the challenges they face.
4: The Humor And Optimism
The Geronimo Stilton books are funny.
Just ask any young reader why they like the series and this will be one of the main things they mention. The humour is generally slapstick and at Geronimo’s expense but there can also be humorous references to popular culture and Geronimo’s interactions with his diverse group of friends and family provide ample opportunities for comedy.
As mentioned above most of the humor comes at Geronimo’s expense. Geronimo hates to travel away from his comfortable home and lifestyle so when he does he often encounters nightmare travel situations. If you ever see Geronimo Stilton on a plane with you, get off immediately!
He has survived at least three plane crashes , has visited just about every condemned hotel in the world, is regularly sick from eating bad food and manages to trip over, fall into or get squashed by every conceivable dangerous object known to mouse-hood.
The humor is not strictly limited to Geronimo's accidental adventures though. Mouse-based play on words (e.g. Fabumouse=Fabulous, Mouseum=Museum, etc) are sprinkled through out the book as are characters with names like Hercule Poirat (an homage to Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot) and Count Cyrus Von Snootrat (not someone you would want to meet or like!). Element such as this allow humor to seep though even when discussing important subjects like the destruction of rain forests or cheating in competitive sports.
The Stilton family and their friends are, by and large, an optimistic bunch. They face "bad guys"and danger at every turn and, apart from a little moaning about hating travel (Geronimo) or not having any food (Trap), they plan solutions to these challenges, knowing they can succeed if they work together and rely on each other's strengths.
While much of the humor is not laugh-out-loud funny, the whole feel of the series is light-hearted and fun. Kids feel that they are in the company of a group of mice who love to enjoy life, regardless of the challenges that they face.
Check out the last post in this series, on the love and bravery demonstrated by Geronimo, his family and friends.
Trackbacks & Pingbacks