The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling
Children’s Lit. 87 Pages. 4 Stars
Synopsis:
It all started when John found the funny old coin. The man at the candy store was more than glad to trade John a box of chocolates for it. And John loved chocolate more than anything else in the world. Or so he thought…
At first, John was disappointed because inside that big box was just one piece of chocolate. But after he ate it, everything tasted like chocolate! That’s when John discovered that his chocolate touch was more – much more – than he bargained for.
My Review:
Reread this little blast from the past this morning on a whim. It was such a quick read, but I still enjoyed it!
This beginner chapter book puts a twist on the Midas story and gears it toward children. I remember reading this an age ago as a little girl in elementary school. Then when I saw the cover in a thrift store a few years ago, I jumped at the chance to add it to my collection. It’s a book I think would appeal to a young boy or girl, an easy read, and one with a nice balance of levity, humor, and seriousness. (Sidenote: I actually had not realized that the book was as old as it is! I loved a lot of the phrases and language that showed through as a result of that.)
The story is a bit of a misadventure where a very chocolate-obsessed boy finds himself magically enchanted (by his own fault and short-sightedness) with a chocolate touch that grows increasingly worse as the story goes on. I love the progression of the story and, as a writer, noticed it hit classic plot points in a really simple way.
The only thing I didn’t much like about the book was the slightly abruptness of the ending. The message is all well and dandy (too much of one thing isn’t good for you), but there was a bit of pointed message about John’s selfishness that didn’t quite feel as well threaded into the story as it could have been. In the end, **SPOILER** he accidentally turns someone to chocolate and panics. **END SPOILER** This rather abruptly turns his heart around. And, though we’ve watched him much more naturally come to the conclusion that all sweets all the time isn’t so great, he didn’t really even overcome the selfish bit. He just showed concern for one particular person and her well-being. He didn’t even care about the others because he was in such a panic. So, it just felt like a wobbly leg to stand on thematically for that front. Like hammering in a crooked nail to try to get the point across.
That said, it’s still a cute little adventure and a fun read. It made me smile and I’d read it again. This is a book I’d love to share with younger siblings or children around the second or third grade level. It’s a kids book, so absolutely no inappropriate content. I think it would be fun to read to a kid at night before bed, chapter by chapter, or during reading time together as a family.