One of the pleasures of fatherhood was being able to re-read some of the books I had enjoyed as a child. Another was to discover a whole new generation of delightful children’s books.
One such book, or set of books that I came across when my daughter was about five years old was the “Flat Stanley” series written by Jeff Brown.
As Flat As A Pancake But Very Much A Lively Boy
The books are all about the adventures of a boy who happens to be as flat as a pancake, but still very much a lively boy.
What happens is that one night a bulletin board falls off the wall and onto the sleeping Stanley and flattens him, but does him no other harm.
Some Advantages Of Being Flat
Being flat comes with some distinct advantages.
- You can get into locked rooms by sliding under the door,
- Rescue mother’s ring when it falls into a drain by lowering yourself through the grating.
- You can fly like a kite
- And you can even get into an envelope and travel for the price of a stamp.
Eventually, Stanley got tired of being flat so his resourceful brother got hold of a bicycle pump and restored him to three dimensions.
Here’s a reading of the first book, with illustrations:
We enjoyed the first book so much that we got most of the rest of the series that Jeff Brown wrote. (There are also a bunch of later Flat Stanley books by other writers that I haven't read.)
What I didn’t realize (or had forgotten?) was that Jeff Brown wrote the first book in 1964 and didn’t write the second until 1983, and then continued to write Flat Stanley books right up until his death in 2003.
The Flat Stanley Project
Another cheerful discovery I made while researching for this blog post was that Flat Stanley has inspired a school project based on his ability to post himself around the world. It sounds like a great way to get children to discover and connect with other people and cultures all over the world.
I found this excellent explanation of how the “Flat Stanley Project” works.
What a great teacher! 👩🎓 I flat out adore her! 😍👸
Hmm… I wonder if we could create a Hive or even #JustOneThing version of this project… 🤔
Perhaps if I ask that lovely teacher for some ideas she would flatter me with a reply... 😺
On the other hand, perhaps you have some suggestions for a Hive-based Flat Stanley project! If so, please post them in the comments!
Cheers!
David Hurley
I've never heard of Flat Stanley but I love the advantages of being flat. Sound like a nice childrens's book.
Just be sure to have a bicycle pump handy in case you get tired of it!
!CTP
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Lol - yes it would be handy.
Flat Stanley was a classic back in the day!! lol
The video just needs to use the flat earth and they are all set!
Oh wait, did the earth get flattened by an intergalactic bulletin board?? 😯
!CTP
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Flat Stanley cant live on a spinning ball, its got to be flat like him!
Flat Stanley was such a great idea. They should do a remake. !CTP
Good use of the daily prompt, David. I am not familiar with the Flat Stanley books.
It might be a good one to get for your grandkids!
!CTP
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Yes, I am going to check it out on Amazon. Thanks for the idea. My oldest grandson is 7 and he reads all of the time. These could be books that he reads to his 4 y/o brother.
This looks like a great deal of fun -- will keep my eyes open for Flat Stanley!
Now you know about him you might start to see him popping up here and there!
!CTP
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Never heard of Flat Stanley but I think it is is great that he is worldwide. Thanks for sharing.
Oh yes, he gets about.
!CTP
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