A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears by Jules Feiffer

Rating: Needs Strong Parent Supervision

Reading level: High School, or possibly Middle School with strong parent supervision due to the Fortune Telling (see below)

A prince goes on a quest with no clear goal except to stop making people laugh uncontrollably. There were some silly parts, and I understand why parents recommended it as a book with humor. However, I have a major concern about the fortune telling, which ends up being a critical part of the book.

Possible concerns:

• Fortune telling. At first, I thought it was hilarious because the fortune teller is so vague that it hilariously demonstrates when a fortune teller would say things that could not possibly be wrong (i.e., they have no power). But then later on she has a very pointed, prophetic message that ends up being the main impetus for resolution. So she ends up being a hero of sorts. This opened up great conversations with my kids about fortune tellers and the occult. We talked about how they either have no power (and make vague statements), or their power comes from satan. We talked about how the bible says we should have nothing to do with the occult, and we discussed other common forms (tarot cards, ouigi boards, palm reading).
• Bad models of marriage. The author jokes that a grouchy man hated his wife—I mean his life. Admittedly, the grouchy man ends up being a villain in the story.
• Lightheartedness about death. The prince’s mother was eaten by a blue whale, and it’s treated lightly with jokes. If you or your kid has lost a family member recently, consider skipping that part (it is very early—in chapter 1 or 2).
• Fantasy. There are wizards, magic, spells…
• Obesity. A woman is described and illustrated as getting extremely, extremely fat after losing her fiance to a curse that keeps them separated. The beautiful think is her fiance keeps searching for her for years and ends up marrying her when he finds her (her overweight doesn’t change his intentions). But that result is many chapters later in the book, and I imagine the lighthearted poking fun at things could make the presence of a super obese girl quite damaging to someone who is very sensitive on the topic.

Overall, I understand why parents thought it was funny, but consider it carefully if you have impressionable young children. Be in the world, but not of it, and make sure the fortune telling doesn’t cause a foothold in their lives.