Product Description

"These figs are very special," the woman whispered. "They can make your dreams come true." -- Thus Monsieur Bibot, the cold-hearted dentist, was given two ordinary-looking figs as payment for extracting a tooth from an old woman's mouth. Monsieur Bibot refused to believe such nonsense and proceeded to eat one of the figs for a bedtime snack. Although it was possibly the finest, sweetest fig he had ever tasted, it wasn't until the next morning that Monsieur Bibot realized it indeed had the power to make his dreams come true. While dragging his poor dog, Marcel, out for his walk, he discovered that his strange dream from the night before was becoming all too real. Determined to make good use of the second fig, Monsieur Bibot learns to control is dreams. But can he control Marcel? Once again Chris Van Allsburg explores the mysterious territory between fantasy and reality in an uncanny tale that will intrigue readers of all ages.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39617 in Books
• Published on: 1993-10-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780395673461
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Van Allsburg swings back into his most mystifying mode with this enigmatic, visually sophisticated tale of Monsieur Bibot, a "very fussy" French dentist who is given a pair of magic figs as a form of payment by an impoverished patient. The fruit, he's told, has the power to make dreams come true. The pragmatic Bibot scoffs at this, of course, but learns otherwise after eating one. Accordingly, he makes plans to use the second fig to become the richest man on earth (and to ditch Marcel, his oppressed terrier, for a string of Great Danes). The images in the book are unsettling, even ominous: Bibot lurking in a doorway with a rolled-up newspaper, ready to punish Marcel; Bibot gleefully clutching a pair of pliers as he prepares to extract an old woman's tooth; a frowning Bibot standing, fists clenched in anger, as his patient offers him the figs instead of cash. The dentist is a thoroughly unsympathetic character; readers will rejoice when the long-suffering Marcel gobbles the second magic fig and, in a poetically just ending, reverses the master-slave relationship. The sepia-toned illustrations are classic Van Allsburg, offering a visual study that is downright psychological; the artwork's spare lines and clean surfaces reflect the obsessively orderly Bibot's nature. Adults will appreciate Van Allsburg's acuity, while many children will relish the darker aspects of his story. A significant achievement. All ages.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 3 Up-Another quietly bizarre and stunning picture book from Van Allsburg. In this modern fairy tale, a Parisian dentist (a prissy and sadistic man who even hates his own dog) is given two magic figs by an old woman who tells him, "'They can make your dreams come true.'" Bibot scoffs. However, after the first fig proves to do exactly that (in a scene in which the dentist walks down the street in his underwear, and then the Eiffel Tower droops over), he realizes how precious they are. Night after night, he hypnotizes himself into dreaming that he is the richest man on earth. Finally, he prepares to eat the second fig. But his dog, Marcel, beats him to it, and the following morning, the dentist wakes up as the helpless pup under a bed, with his own face calling to him, "'Time for your walk. Come to Marcel.'" The Sweetest Fig is a superb blend of theme, language, and illustration, with a very grabbing plot as well. The writing is formal yet direct, using simple, deliberate vocabulary to match the elegant setting and mood. The shades of gray, cream, and brown and the calm, stable design enhance this mood. The angle at which readers view scenes is always intriguing and heightens their involvement. Most children old enough to read this complex book on their own will be fascinated and will return to it again and again. Van Allsburg at his best.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 3 and up. Van Allsburg's astonishing picture book quietly reveals the uproar beneath the most orderly facade. The protagonist is a villain: that contemporary image of respectability, a dentist. He's neat and very fussy--spectacles, bow tie, receding hairline, pinky finger bent as he eats. And he's cruel ("If his dog, Marcel, jumped on the furniture, Monsieur Bibot was sure to teach him a lesson"). Everything seems extra controlled, in place, fixed, confined. Then comes the torture scene: an old woman with a toothache begs Bibot for help, and, smiling with relish, he holds her down in the dentist's chair and wrenches out her tooth with steel pliers. She can't pay--we see that she's wild-haired and homeless--but she gives him two figs. "They can make your dreams come true," she tells him. Furious, fists clenched, he shoves her out the door and refuses to give her pills for pain. That night he delicately eats one of the figs, and the next day he finds himself walking on the crowded sidewalk in his underwear: what he dreamed, his nightmare, has come true. What's more, the Eiffel Tower has drooped over, and he remembers that he dreamed that, too. Then, determined to take control, he hypnotizes himself to dream of power and wealth and prepares to eat the second fig.

The small white dog that's in the background of almost every Van Allsburg book here takes center stage, but you don't realize it at first. Quiet and long-faced, Marcel is confined by furniture and steep steps, held by collar and leash, watching from the floor as his master eats, always seen from behind or above. But when the master prepares to eat the second fig and dream his heart's desire, there's a dramatic reversal. The man turns his back; the dog rises up from the floor and gobbles the fig. The next morning the two are on the floor, but the man is the dog, and it's Marcel who orders, "Time for your walk."

The detailed, soft-textured pictures in shades of brown and white have the appearance of framed sepia photographs, with dramatic close-ups as well as an extraordinary sense of depth. Their realistic use of light and changing perspective makes the fantasy story an integral part of the everyday. The surreal view of the tower and its sharp antenna, bent over toward Bibot like a dentist's drill, shocks you into realizing that you've always known it could do that, that this most permanent of soaring landmarks also appears fragile and strange. Van Allsburg's vision makes you aware of what you didn't know you feared.

Children will recognize the terror, the mystery, and the delicious dream of reversal. It depends on how you see it: your nightmare may be my dearest wish. Hazel Rochman

Customer Reviews

What if... When You Slept, Your Dreams Came True?
Chris Van Allsburg's book, THE SWEETEST FIG, is an exquisitely illustrated book that raises the fascinating question, "What if... when you slept, your dreams came true?"

This story tells the tale of a mean-spirited dentist, Monsieur Bibot, who lives in Paris, France, with only his small, white dog for a companion. When Bibot receives as payment two small figs from an old woman who can't afford to pay him for his dental services, he is furious. The woman tells Bibot that these figs are special... "they can make your dreams come true." Dreams are clearly something that Bibot cares little for... that is, until he discovers that the old woman was telling him the truth. When he finds himself standing outside a restaurant dressed only in his underwear, and the Eiffel Tower bending down as if it were made of rubber -- he rushes home and begins practicing the art of controlling his dreams. Bibot's attempt to overly-control his life takes a surprising turn, and this story vividly illustrates the point that greed and self-absorption can ruin a man's life.

Because the artwork in this book is so exceptionally good and the moral of the story is so delightful, this is one book that parents will love to read to their children again and again!

Excellent book - parents will enjoy this one too!
I have two children, ages 5 and 7, and this is one of their favorite books. The story is about a mean-spirited dentist who is cruel to one of his patients, and even treats his own dog badly. The evil dentist eventually gets what he deserves, however, in a surprise twist at the end that will amuse both parents and children. The wonderful pictures make the story all the more enjoyable.

A WELL TOLD STORY AND THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE TOP LINE.
The Sweetest Fig, by Chris Van Allsburg is one of those unique books that is simply "different." I can think of no other way of describing this book, other than delightfully and simply "quirky." It is an absolute delight for both young and old. It is a simple story of an uptight dentist, a long suffering dog, an old, poor lady down on her luck, and two very interesting, magic figs which will make your dreams come true. The dentist takes the two magic figs, rather begrudgingly, as payment for dental work done for the old lady.

Now this is enough of the story line. This is a story of greed and the consequences of greed. The art work in this small book is absolutely wonderful. The longer you study each frame, the better it gets. The text is quite simple and very easy to understand. The story explores a side of human nature (for some people) that needs to be explored. Your kids will be running into individual like our unlikeable dentist all of their lives, and this book will give them something to remember and something to snicker about as they get older. Now some folk, I like to call them the "hand-wringers" will think that the story, and the way it is told, may not be appropriate for younger children. Yes, there is some implied mild violence, some very sly and vague Freudian imagery (if your child can spot this, then she or he is well beyond the understanding level of most adults and you probably need to upgrade the child's reading list.) and indeed, the way the greedy dentist treats his dog is not nice at all. This of course is the responsibility of each individual parent to make this decision, but for the life of me, I cannot find the objection here.

This wonderful morality tale gives the parent loads of little items that can be discussed with the child as the story is being read, and there are many little lessons to be learned here. I have read this book to children in the class room as young as six and they all certainly got the meaning of the story, enjoyed it, and loved it when the dentist got what was coming to him. Let us not underestimate the brightness of our children. In many ways they are much smarter and more perceptive than we are. Recommend this one highly. (Love the little dog, by the way).