Fat & Bones

Starred review from September 1, 2014
In seven interconnected short stories, first-time author Theule transports readers to an isolated farm whose owner, Bald, has just died, sparking conflicts that leave nothing and no one unscathed, whether human, animal, flower, or fairy. The farmer’s cruel son, Bones, and the resident fairy, Fat, promptly set out to destroy the other, in the process cutting off the farm cat’s tail and turning Mrs. Bald (who hasn’t stopped sobbing since her husband’s death) into a “mass of skin, fingernails, and hair,” after she inadvertently drinks a “Skeleton Eraser” elixir. The sometimes-comic, sometimes-gruesome events and eerie rural setting call to mind the short-lived cartoon Courage the Cowardly Dog—Theule’s is a farm where pigs whose feet haven’t been lopped off for stew mount elaborate dance numbers and where a mouse sails across a lake of Mrs. Bald’s tears to profess his love. Moments of selfishness, sacrifice, bravery, and revenge jumble together in haunting and unexpected ways, and Doyle’s lush b&w illustrations help establish an unsettling atmosphere that feels like Charlotte’s Web by way of Neil Gaiman. Ages 9–up. Author’s agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt.

December 1, 2015
Gr 7 Up-Farmer Bald was not a kind man, and when he dies, life on the farm gets even worse. His terrible son, Bones, and Fat, the grumpy fairy who lives in the tree, hate each other and go to extreme lengths to demonstrate it. Their actions have far-reaching consequences that affect nearly every other creature on the farm. Lovestruck Jimmy the mouse, one-legged Esmerelda the pig, and Leonard Grey III, a spider who loves tea and sonnets, each have an unfortunate role to play in this dark fantasy. Theule explores the wickedness within the characters and the sometimes surprising acts of self-sacrifice. She does not shy away from gruesome imagery. The farmer's wife chops off the pig's foot to make a stew, and Bones unintentionally cuts off the cat's tail. Sensitive readers may be troubled by these images. Through distinctive voicing, Donald Corren slowly reveals each character's personality and innermost thoughts, leading listeners to a surprising conclusion. VERDICT Fans of dark humor and stories with a twist may wish to try this tale of ill-fated events. ["These stories are recommended for middle schoolers who aren't afraid of a dark twist": "SLJ" 8/14 review of the Carolrhoda book.]-"Amanda Spino, Ocean County Library, NJ"

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2014
Short, peculiar, inexplicable: This won't be for everyone. When Bald the farmer dies, his miserable son, Bones, is determined to get rid of Fat the fairy, who lives on the farm, once and for all. Their rivalry sets off a series of interconnected tales, each one dark and surreal and imbued with a kind of meaning, although the meaning is not always immediately apparent-and there's little to no morality on display, although there are glimmers of a very dark sense of absurdity. While there are occasional moments of kindness (a vindictive, nearly footless pig tries to ensure the prettiest pig's trotter ends up in a stew but sacrifices herself instead at the last moment; a misfit spider finds love), most of the tales are dark indeed. A lovelorn mouse sets up his rival for defeat by cat; a tulip becomes an assassin of smaller flowers; and Fat and Bones both come to nasty ends. The tales link together across the space of a single day, at the end of which peace reigns on the farm. Tonally these read a bit like folk or fairy tales, but the edges are sharp; the dark, ink-blotted design and pen-and-ink art make this an object to admire as well as read. Strange and strangely compelling, this is one of those books that needs the right reader-who will eat it up. (Short stories. 14 & up)

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October 15, 2014
Grades 4-7 Bloodthirsty young readers will revel in Theule's anthropomorphic short stories. The title story regales the audience with a boisterous feud between Bones, the evil son of Bald (a now-dead farmer), and Fat, a revengeful fairy who casts a spell that erases the skeleton from the farmer's wife. Without her bones, Mrs. Bald cannot wield the cleaver and hack off pigs' feet for her son's favorite stew, and Esmeralda the pig was able to save her last footor was she? The short stories host a macabre cast of the farm's gruesome characters: the cat, who gets her tail chopped off; Leonard Grey III, a sonnet-writing spider; Jimmy, the love-struck mouse; and flowers Daisy and Tulip, best friends who use pollen as a weapon for survival. Doyle's black-and-white, pen-and-ink illustrations complement the stories with just the right amount of gloom and whimsy. Perhaps the cleaver says it best as she intones her refrain, Blood blood blood, all I want is blood, fresh juicy piggy blood, blood blood blood. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

August 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-With its light page count and atmospheric illustrations by Doyle, illustrator of Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle (Scholastic) covers, Theule's short work could easily be mistaken for a hi-lo (high interest-low reading level) novel, aimed at reluctant readers. While there's certainly lots of interest there, and the short story format helps to sustain that interest, this title has sophisticated themes and artwork that could appeal to a wide range of teens. The stories, while not necessarily interconnected, all take place during the same time period on the same farm, with the same characters being referenced in multiple stories. Bones's father, the old farmer Bald, has died, and that sets in motion the events of the various stories. Readers meet a wide-eyed mouse who endeavors to confess his feelings to the one he loves; a group of pigs who must have their hooves made into soup; and the titular characters, Fat and Bones, who hate each other for some unknown reason. All of the stories are about relationships, whether that is of enemies, friends, or lovers. The themes of tension and choices are not heavy-handed, and the artwork sustain the dark, slightly sinister mood. Each illustration looks like it was borne from a splash of paint, and has an abstract quality, yet isn't too difficult to comprehend. These stories are recommended for middle schoolers who aren't afraid of a dark twist. This would be an excellent read-aloud.-Jessica Ko, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.