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| Amos & Boris | 
 enlarge | Creator: William Steig
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Category: Book
List Price: $6.95
Buy New: $1.85
You Save: $5.10 (73%)
Buy New/Used from $1.85
Avg. Customer Rating:  (24 reviews)
Sales Rank: 35999
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 32
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 10.2 x 8.8 x 0.2
ISBN: 0374403600
EAN: 9780374403607
ASIN: 0374403600
Publication Date: September 1, 1992
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Very wordy, disappointing denouement September 19, 2006
2 out of 11 found this review helpful
I saw all the positive reviews here, and bought Amos & Boris to read to my two-year-old. I am often disappointed in aspects of the stories in children's books, and having to read them over and over, stories that my son likes that have endings that bother me can really get to me, so I'm always looking for the good ones.
Amos & Boris is definitely over my two-year-old's head, but even from my perspective in reading it to him, I found the sentences wordy to the point of wearying, as another review mentioned, each one a very long breath. The concepts are rather complicated for a kids' book, as well.
And I also didn't like the inconsistency--some things, like what a mammal is, are explained, but other things, like what it means when a whale "sounds", are not (which considering that "sound" has another, more typical meaning, seems like it would help in the story).
It looks like there are many fans of this book, but I also find the ending completely untethered to the rest of the story, and it comes out of nowhere, which I tend to see in the less-good kid's books. It is also a very quick wrap-up compared to the dragged-out feeling the book has until that point, and just doesn't seem worth the journey.
From an adult reader's perspective, it's not as frustrating as some other children's books, but I would not recommend it, especially if you plan on reading it to your child.
 Pretentious and tedious...kids immediately smell it as false July 9, 2006
3 out of 18 found this review helpful
The tedious, self-serving prose in this book reads as though the author loves the sound of his own narative voice WAY too much. His endless, conjunction-addled sentences leave smart kids looking -- aching -- for the POINT. Steig sets up a sweet and caring friendship between a mouse and a whale -- certainly an unlikely pair -- but instead of playing with the natural contrasts there, he overburdens the story with his heavy-handed voice. There is so much focus on despair and helplessness that the story bogs down...and sinks under the weight of Steig's ego.
 An excellent childrens book August 23, 2005
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I am actually 28 but I bought this book as it was my favourite book as a child. It is such a lovely story and I would recommend it to all children (and parents).
True Friendship March 30, 2005
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a heart-warming tale of friendship between two unlikely animal characters. The use of animals in a story is classic Steig who delves into a fantasy world and leaves the human world behind. This is a great read aloud book for young children when studying the themes of friendship or survival.
The use of elaborate vocabulary also makes this a great story for independent older readers as well. Being written in the third person, the reader is able to experience the emotions of Amos. Steig illustrates this book beautifully with ink sketches and watercolor washes. Truely a terrific book!!!
Amos & Boris February 21, 2005
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Most folks are familiar with William Steig for having written Shrek. But there is soooo much more. "Dominic" and "Amos and Boris" were two of the most memorable books from my childhood. I received tham as gifts from my parents and read and re-read them countless times.
I had long since lost my copies from childhood but ordered new when I read that the author had passed away.
I approached reading them with great trepidation as I feared that they would not live up to my memory of them.
I should not have worried!
I decided to read "Amos & Boris" first as "Dominic" was my absolute favorite. I figured if I did not feel the same magic, I would avoid re-reading "Dominic" so as not to diminsh my recollection. So one afternoon, after arriving home from work, I sat down with "Amos & Boris" and began to read it out loud. By the time I was 3 pages from the end of the book, I was weeping.
These books are special beyond words and I hope that William Steig understood how much beauty he brought into the world writing them.
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