Gorky Rises

This was my absolute favorite book as a child. It inspired me to try making all sorts of magic potions. Now I’m a scientist doing medical research, and I attribute my first sense of the magic and whimsy of experimenting to this book.

I'm a big fan of William Steig, and we own at least a dozen of his books. This one, however, is my least favorite.A frog named Gorky makes a strange magical concoction which sends him on an airborne journey. A great deal of time is spent on the admirers as he floats through the sky. He then runs into trouble with a thunderstorm, wishes to go home, eventually figures a method of pulling himself back to Earth (by emptying the magic solution from the bottle one drip at a time). And the last drip in the bottle turns a rock into an elephant.I like bizarre, and I've even been known to be a fan of randomness. This book certainly has both, and Steig's language is - as always - colorful. But the story is long, drags in a number of places for me, and really never hits the right chord.I'd never advise anyone to not give a book a chance - clearly there are some who do like this one - but I feel there are a number of books by Steig that are far more interesting and entertaining.

I bought this for a "future time," but our 2 yr old actually likes it now. Sometimes he only makes it through half, but he still picks it out for bedtime. The illustrations and language are wonderful. This is one of the stories that my husband doesn't get tired of reading over and over to the baby.

Not Steig's best book, but certainly imaginative.Try "Dominic" to see Steig at his best.

Another fantastic adventure by William Steig! Versatile for all ages; a fun family tale.

GORKY RISES is a bit sophisticated for my grandchild who is just 22 months...but the idea is poetic and I plan to read it to her as soon as she is ready.

One of the best children's books every.

Quintessential Steig. Not as well known as "Amos and Boris" or "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble," but, for me, his finest book for children. It combines Steig's brilliant sense of fantasy with a wry sense of humor and a playful notion of how language can be employed.

Great book...bought this for my son, was his favorite book when he was a child. William Steig's books are as amusing and interesting for the adults reading them aloud to their kids as for the kids listening and looking at the illustrations. Thanks for on time delivery and a great price on the book!