📖 Overview
A young boy encounters a predicament when his kite becomes stuck in a tree. To retrieve it, he tosses up various items in attempts to dislodge the kite.
His efforts lead to an escalating series of objects becoming trapped in the tree's branches. Each solution creates a new problem as more and more improbable items accumulate overhead.
This picture book uses minimal text and expressive illustrations to tell its story. The visuals progress across each spread as the situation grows more complex.
The story explores themes of problem-solving and the unintended consequences that can spiral from simple actions. It presents a child's perspective on dealing with mounting challenges while maintaining a sense of determination.
👀 Reviews
Parents and children enjoy this book's absurd humor and escalating silliness. Readers highlight the expressive illustrations and appreciate how the story encourages problem-solving, even if the solutions are ridiculous.
Likes:
- Interactive format invites kids to point out the growing collection of items
- Simple text works for young readers
- Illustrations capture emotion and movement
- Humorous enough for adults to enjoy repeated readings
Dislikes:
- Some parents find the ending too abrupt
- A few readers note the problem-solving message gets lost in the chaos
- Limited educational value compared to other picture books
Ratings:
Goodreads: 4.13/5 (14,000+ ratings)
Amazon: 4.8/5 (3,800+ ratings)
Representative review: "My 3-year-old laughs at every page and loves to count all the things stuck in the tree. The ending makes him giggle every time." - Amazon reviewer
Some teachers note they use the book to teach creative thinking and sequential ordering.
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What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada A child grapples with a growing problem that transforms into opportunity through perseverance.
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt Duncan opens his crayon box to find letters from his crayons explaining their grievances and demands.
The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak The reader must speak nonsense words and phrases written on pages without illustrations.
This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen A small fish steals a hat from a big fish and faces the consequences of his actions.
🤔 Interesting facts
🌟 Oliver Jeffers wrote and illustrated this book after watching his son repeatedly throw things into the air, which sparked the idea for Floyd getting various items stuck in a tree
🌳 The book's vibrant color palette was partially inspired by the pop art movement, particularly the work of Andy Warhol
🎨 Each item Floyd throws into the tree gets progressively more absurd, culminating in him throwing an entire lighthouse - Jeffers specifically designed this escalation to make young readers laugh at the ridiculousness
🏆 "Stuck" won the Irish Book Award in 2011 for Children's Book of the Year (Junior Category)
🖼️ The artwork in "Stuck" was created using Jeffers' signature mixed-media technique, combining pencil drawings with painted elements and digital touches