Flat Stanley facts for kids
|
Front cover of the first edition (1964)
|
|
|
|
|
| Author | Jeff Brown (1964–2003; 2006) |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Tomi Ungerer (1964) Tony Ross (1992) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Harper & Row (1964–1985) HarperCollins (1990–2003) Scholastic (2006; 2009–present) Methuen Publishing (UK, 1964–1998)/Egmont Group (UK, 1998–present) |
| Published | 1964–2003; 2006; 2009–present |
Flat Stanley is a popular American children's book series. It was first written by Jeff Brown (1926–2003).
Jeff Brown originally created the story for his sons. He told it to them as a bedtime story.
| Illustrator | Macky Pamintuan |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Published | 2009–present |
Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures is another American children's book series. Different authors write these books. Some authors include Sara Pennypacker, Josh Greenhut, and David Ross. In these stories, Stanley travels all around the world.
Contents
Stanley's Amazing Adventures
The Original Flat Stanley Story
The first Flat Stanley book tells the story of Stanley Lambchop. One night, a bulletin board falls on him while he is sleeping. Luckily, Stanley survives, but he is squashed completely flat!
Stanley decides to make the best of his new flat shape. He can now slide under locked doors. He can be rolled up to go to the park. He even plays with his younger brother by being used as a kite.
One of the coolest things about being flat is that Stanley can visit friends far away. He can travel to California just by being mailed in an envelope. Stanley even helps catch some art museum thieves. He does this by pretending to be a painting on the wall.
Eventually, Stanley gets tired of being flat. His brother helps him return to his normal shape. He uses a bicycle pump to inflate him back to normal!
Books in the Flat Stanley Series
Here are the books in the original Flat Stanley series by Jeff Brown:
- Flat Stanley (1964) – The first adventure where Stanley becomes flat.
- Stanley and the Magic Lamp (1985) – Stanley and his brother Arthur find a magic lamp with a genie inside.
- Stanley In Space (1990) – The Lambchop family goes into space. They help make peace with tiny aliens on a new planet called Tyrra.
- Stanley's Christmas Adventure (1993) – Santa Claus's daughter, Sarah, asks the Lambchops for help. Santa has lost his Christmas spirit, and they need to bring it back.
- Invisible Stanley (1995) – After a big thunderstorm, Stanley mysteriously turns invisible.
- Stanley, Flat Again! (2003) – Stanley gets hit by a rubber ball and becomes flat again. He has many more unusual adventures.
After Jeff Brown passed away, other authors continued the series. Scholastic published these new books.
Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures
A separate series called Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures also began. These books are written by different authors. Stanley travels to many exciting places around the globe.
- The Mount Rushmore Calamity (2009) – by Sara Pennypacker
- The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery (2009) – by Sara Pennypacker
- The Japanese Ninja Surprise (2009) – by Sara Pennypacker
- The Intrepid Canadian Expedition (2010) – by Sara Pennypacker
- The Amazing Mexican Secret (2010) – by Josh Greenhut
- The African Safari Discovery (2011) – by Josh Greenhut
- The Flying Chinese Wonders (2011) – by Josh Greenhut
- The Australian Boomerang Bonanza (2011) – by Josh Greenhut
- The US Capital Commotion (2011) – by Josh Greenhut
- Showdown at the Alamo (2014) – by Josh Greenhut
- Framed in France (2014) – by Josh Greenhut
- Escape to California (2014) – by David Ross
- The Midnight Ride of Flat Revere (2016) – by Kate Egan
- On a Mission for her Majesty (2017) – by Kate Egan
- Lost in New York (2018) – by Kate Egan
The Flat Stanley Project
The Flat Stanley Project is a fun educational activity. It was started in 1995 by Dale Hubert. He was a third-grade teacher in London, Ontario, Canada.
The project helps schoolchildren practice their letter-writing skills. They send a paper Flat Stanley to friends or family in other places. Then, they write about Flat Stanley's adventures.
Dale Hubert won an award for teaching excellence in 2001. This was for creating the Flat Stanley Project.
How the Project Works
Students start by reading the Flat Stanley book. They learn about Stanley's adventures. Then, they create their own paper "Flat Stanleys." These are drawings of the character.
Students keep a journal for a few days. They write about where their Flat Stanley goes and what it does. After that, they mail their Flat Stanley and its journal to someone else.
The person who receives Flat Stanley treats him like a guest. They add to his journal. They write about his visit and then mail him back. This project is a bit like the travelling gnome prank. But the Flat Stanley Project focuses on reading and writing.
Students often enjoy tracking Flat Stanley's travels on maps. They also share the stories from his journal. Sometimes, Flat Stanley returns with a photo or postcard from his trip. Some teachers use e-mail for faster travel.
In 2005, over 6,500 classes took part in the project. These classes were from 48 different countries.
Flat Stanley in Pop Culture
Flat Stanley has even appeared in TV shows and news stories.
- In 2004, he was in an episode of the animated TV series King of the Hill.
- In 2009, Flat Stanley was on US Airways Flight 1549. This plane landed safely in the Hudson River. He was carried to safety in his traveling companion's briefcase.
- In 2010, fans of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team used Flat Stan. They asked US President Barack Obama to honor a famous baseball player, Stan Musial.
In the Flat Stanley books, Stanley travels the world in envelopes. In the project, students send paper dolls and notes to other students. They use regular mail or e-mail. Children share ideas, photos, questions, and learn about different cultures.
Arranging Exchanges
Teachers can sign up on the Flat Stanley Project website. There, they can arrange exchanges with other classrooms. Other teachers might ask students to send their paper doll to a friend or relative. This friend or relative can live in another state.
The Flat Stanley Project uses blogs. Teachers, parents, and students can share stories there. They can describe local traditions and scenery. They can also post photos. All the Flat Stanley photos are saved in an online Picture Gallery.
