Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: The Picture Book and the Movie
Monday June 15, 2009
The children's picture book Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a wonderfully imaginative picture book by Judi Barrett, with terrific illustrations by Ron Barrett. It's not surprising that more than three million copies have been sold since the book was first published in 1978. It's a wonderful read aloud for 4- to 8-year-olds and can serve as an excellent writing and visual art prompt for tweens and young teens. I hope you will share the book with your kids before you see the movie. The movie version of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a 3-D animation that will be released on September 18, 2009. While the movie may be a lot of fun, it is very different from the book, as you will see from the movie trailer of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Let me know how you and your kids like the book and what you think of the trailer by clicking on "Comments" below and sharing your opinions. Thanks.
(Cover art courtesy of Simon and Schuster)
Comments
After viewing the preview of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” I wonder if the producers just borrowed the rights to the title, then wrote their own unique story. As a media specialist for the past twenty-five years, the movie will provide much discussion in the classroom and out!
The entire idea is abject nonsense, built upon the belief that children need nonsense. In fact, children seek to understand the real world to which they are so new. Commonly, especially in children’s books, adults spend their time trying to immerse children in utter confusion and nonsense. To a child, “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” just adds to that confusion. It teaches them that adult thinking, through nonsense, is just as legitimate as rational thought. In doing so, it teaches children to DISCARD reason, and destroys their ultimate character.
After having been massively disappointed with the movie version of Kate DiCamillo’s “The Tale of Despereaux,” I looked to this trailer for a better translation…… not to be. The story(book) itself is so fun and soothing in its silliness. The trailer gives us a glimpse of a movie that has very little to do with the book but may be entertaining in a contemporary, fast-moving, high-tech way. Wish they’d called it something else but hopefully the author is getting a nice piece of the meatball action once again!
Wow Richard, I think you need to hug your innerchild and chill a bit. Magical thinking is MOST essential to becoming a functioning adult. Nonsense seems to be what our reality is made up of anyway… a little creative nonsense might just be what the world needs.
As for book to movie … I try not to compare and just enjoy each for what it is.
Hollywood destroyed the book. What a great children’s book it was too.
I see where Sam is coming from. Books and movies are two different art forms. So while it is interesting to veiw two similar stories from two different perspectives of two different artists using two different art forms, we have to keep in mind that they will be DIFFERENT from each other, and “enjoy each one for what it is”. I myself usually prefer the books and try to read those first, but for children who are not easily excited by reading, the movie may be a chance to encourage them to try reading this book (or having it read to them). It also gives them the oppoutunity to compare the two. Make sure you get your child’s opinion on what they liked about each one and why. It could lead to a great disscusion!