Product Description

The animals of Knotty Pine won't listen to the gnats' suggestion for keeping the hunters away, but learn to appreciate the tiny bugs when they're able to make the hunters "buzz off."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1474936 in Books
• Published on: 1975-08-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 48 pages

Review
"Cartoon-like illustrations suitably capture the sardonic spirit of the text." (Children's Book Review Service )

Ingram
The smallest creatures of Knotty Pine Forest avert the horrors of the hunting season in a very "sportsgnatlike" way.

About the Author
We are sad to announce that Bill Peet, beloved Houghton Mifflin author and illustrator, died at the age of 87 on Saturday, May 11, 2002 at his home in California. Bill was the author of 34 books published by Houghton Mifflin. One of these, Bill Peet: An Autobiography, was named a 1989 Caldecott Honor Book. All of Bill Peet's books published by Houghton Mifflin Company, including his first book for children published in 1959, Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure, remain actively in print today. In both his career as an author and illustrator of children"s books and in his work as sketch artist and continuity illustrator at Walt Disney, Bill Peet created a menagerie of memorable characters. As he himself noted, I write about animals because I love to draw them. Most of my animal characters have human personalities, and some are much like the people I know.

Customer Reviews

Disappointed in Stereotypes
"The Gnats of Knotty Pine," by Bill Peet, has quality illustrations and a competent story line. It is touted as a story that shows how "little people" can make a difference. In it, a group of animals meet to discuss the opening day of hunting season and figure out a plan to "save their own skins." The big animals disagree on what to do, when a swarm of gnats decide to join the meeting. They are chased off by the others as having no worth. When the hunters arrive the next day, the gnats are the only "animals" who are able to drive the hunters away. They save the day.

This story is a thinly disguised animal rights tract masquerading under the "little guy wins out" plot. Some of the illustrations and text are so obviously stereotyped and simplistic, I'm surprised it has garnered so many good reviews.

First, the illustrations that feature hunters show them as slack-jawed, evil-looking men. Some sport hats with brims tipped up "Gomer Pyle" style -- clearly reading "hick." When the hunters arrive they are all in "lower class" vehicles, the lead truck with a license plate reading "OGRES."

Another troubling illustration shows a squirrel leveling a shotgun at two hunters begging for their lives -- a "turn-about is fair play" message that I find destructive to young minds. Some of the textual messages are also disturbing to young children. It asserts that hunters are only after "a prize buck with...antlers" or "anything on four legs" and even "anything that moves."

While there may be hunters that are irresponsible, the people who make up hunting community run the gamut of our society, from doctors to union workers. They bring a variety of values and ethics to the activity. In addition, women happen to be the fastest growing segment of hunters.

A thoughtful exploration of these issues without stereotypes and hateful exposition would be more appropriate for children. I would not recommend "The Gnats of Knotty Pine" as good reading for children -- nor does this hate belong in our schools.

By Gail Blankenau, author of "Mountain Pirates" an outdoor adventure for children.

One dull book!
I found this book to be wordy, uncreative and dull. As a mother of 5, I have read lots of children's books and usually enjoy a new one, but not this one. Very dull. I do not recomend this book and neither do my 6 and 3 year old.