Esio Trot

by Roald Dahl

Other authorsQuentin Blake (Illustrator)
Paperback, 2009

Status

Available

Call number

823.914

Publication

Puffin Books (2009), 64 pages

Description

Shy Mr. Hoppy devises a plan to win the heart of his true love by teaching her a spell to make her tortoise grow bigger.

User reviews

LibraryThing member amrahmn
This was a somewhat sweet story of shy Mr. Hoppy trying to make Mrs. Silver happy by having her tortoise Alfie grow. It isn't my favorite Roald Dahl story simple because I thought that the message was partly "deceit can get you what you want." Also, Mr. Hoppy was way too excited to hear Mrs. Silver
Show More
say "slave for life." Weird! I would include the book in a study of Roald Dahl.
Show Less
LibraryThing member michelleramos
This is a really cute story of a lonely old man, who loves two things in life. He loves his beautiful garden on his balcony and the beautiful widow that lives down stairs. The woman down stairs however is completely devoted to her tortoise. Mr. Hoppy finds a way to get into her heart with the help
Show More
of a creative plan and hundreds of tortoises.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Black_samvara
This would be a very cute romance it wasn't built on deception. I wanted to like it but couldn't get past the bit where everything he does to win her heart involves lying to her.
LibraryThing member sriemann
Some needed literary distraction after reading Math and teaching books. It fit the bill perfectly - quirky but adorable characters and solutions to problems that you normally wouldn't think are ok... but then they are, because why not?
LibraryThing member nosajeel
Esio Trot (or Tortoise backwards) is a creative little throwaway of a story about a man who woos a woman by tricking her into thinking that a magic spell is growing her tortoise, when really he is swapping out for larger and larger tortoises. But it is funny and sweet and there is something
Show More
hypnotic about chanting the magic spell (which has all the words backwards, which he claims is tortoise language).
Show Less
LibraryThing member jthuro1
Esio Trot can really be summed up in two words: goofy and fun. This book has no real moral or important lessons, but is nonetheless a very entertaining read. Find out what outrageous lengths a clever man will go to to win the woman of his dreams. Dahl's sense of humor shines through in this book
Show More
about a man, a woman, and several tortoises. Surprisingly, a happy ending is in store for all of the characters, even those who are not completely honest people.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Lizziep
Mr. Hoppy is hopelessly in love with Mrs. Silver, but she is too distracted by her per tortoise to notice. Mr. Hoppy devises a scheme to make Mrs. Silver think about something else besides her tortoise. This is a silly and whimsical book that is read purely for enjoyment. It is a fun read but it is
Show More
shallow in that it lacks any real meaning.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rata
A delightful, humourous story about love. Mr Hoppy ( a shy, single retired man) lives above Mrs Silver ( a kind widow), their balconies provide a platform for them to communicate to each other. Mrs Silver is concerned that her beloved tortise 'Alfie' is not growing, although she has had him for 11
Show More
years. Mr Hoppy, who is besotted by Mrs Silver (unbeknown to her), comes up with a plan to win her affections. He gives her an ancient witch doctor's chant to supposedly make things grow. It is a just a chant spelt backwards, but as a reader you will have fun deciphering it. Mr Hoppy sets about buying and exchanging tortises while Mrs Silver is at work. Mrs Silver is delighted and so appreciative when her tortoise reaches 27 ounces ( she doesn't realise that this is not Alfie).Eventually Mr Hoppy plucks up the courage to ask her to marry him and Mrs Silver ecstatically agrees. A great read for 8 -10 year olds.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AmberTheHuman
Quite short, even for a chilren's book. A little deceptive, but definitely cute.
LibraryThing member CrystalRushton
Esio Trot is the story of an old man who lives in an apartment and falls in love with his neighbor living below him. Everyday the old man would watch the woman from his balcony feed and pet her pet turtle. The man spends every day wishing he could marry the woman, but is too shy to talk to her. One
Show More
day, the man finally asks the lady how her turtle is doing, and she responds that she is worried because her turtle is not growing. The man thinks on his feet and lies to the women by telling her he knows a magical poem that will make the turtle grow. The old man teaches the lady the magical poem, but of course it is not magical at all. Instead, the old man goes to the pet store everyday and buys a turtle slightly larger than the one before and trades it for the one she has. It is easy for the reader to see that this cannot last forever.
This book is one of Roald Dahl’s interesting and eccentric stories that will be a classic for years to come. I would recommend this book for upper elementary students, especially children that like a bit of humor.
Show Less
LibraryThing member 6h.library
Esio Trot is a creative book written by the fabulous and talented author, Roald Dahl. Esio Trot is a book about an old man called Mr Hoppy who is in love with a young middle aged women called Mrs Silver. Esio Trot contains many riddles that are funny. i recommend this book for chldren aged 8-12.
LibraryThing member nmhale
A very short story by the master of quirky humor for children, this tale is a love story about a man, a woman, and a tortoise. Poor Mr. Hoppy is in love with his downstairs neighbor, but she only has eyes for her pet turtle. To win her heart, he promises that he can help her turtle grow bigger much
Show More
faster than usual. The way he delivers on that promise is what makes this a Dahl story, as Mr. Hoppy goes to lengths and takes measures that are extraordinary and ridiculous. A sweet read, that isn't as darkly funny as some of his other novels, but just as silly and fun.
Show Less
LibraryThing member MusicMom41
An LT friend sent me four of the shorter Dahl children’s stories on disc so I grabbed one of them to listen to as I drove my long drive into the doctor’s office. It was early in the morning and this charming story, beautifully read by the British actor Geoffrey Palmer, kept me alert and awake
Show More
for the trip. Mr. Hoppy is in love with Mrs. Silver but hasn’t the courage to tell her. She is concerned about her pet tortoise, Alfie, because he isn’t growing. The story of how Mr. Hoppy solves Mrs. Silver’s problem and so gains the courage to tell her how he feels had me in stitches. Dahl’s quirky story is, as always, delightful with wonderful details and great word play. I enjoyed it so much, when I got home I looked for the used copy I had recently bought from the library and reread it with the wonderful illustrations by Quentin Blake. Recommended for the young and the young at heart.
Show Less
LibraryThing member annaread
A good story about a man who loves a women but doesn't have the courage to ask for her hand in marriage. He finally has the courage to ask her-but not before a complicated plot involving the women's tortoise, which is the object of her affection.
LibraryThing member mcprice
This is a fun book written about Roald Dahl. The main character in the book is in love with the lady that lives below him. The lady that lives below has a turtle that she worries is about. So the man decides to do something about it, which he ends up with a few turtles in this apartment in order to
Show More
help the woman out.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bekstrom
This is a good example of fiction. It is a very believeable story, but hopefully no gentalman would go to these outragious lengths to impress a woman. It is important that the setting is given extra consideration in this story. Before the story starts there is an author's note to the reader that
Show More
lets the reader know that this story was written when tortoises were brought back to England in crates from North Africa. It is important that the students realize this so they know why Mr. Hoppy was able to get so many tortoises. It doesn't reveal the time period, but it would be important to incorperate into the story. I would use this story in an intermediate classroom. There are a few pictures incorperated in the story that are done in pencil.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SMLawrence
Esio Trot, or tortoise backwards, is a sweet story of Mr. Hoppy, his neighbor Mrs. Silver, and her pet turtle, Alfie. Mr. Hoppy is in love with Mrs. Silver but is too afraid to ask her out, but he comes up with a master plan to romance Mrs. Silver. Mrs. Silver has a beloved turtle, Alfie, who she
Show More
loves dearly. Every year Alfie wakes up from his winter sleep and is weighed by Mrs. Silver. But, in the past 11 years he has only gained three ounces. Mr. Hoppy figures that if he buys several different sized turtles and secretly puts them in Alfie's place so it will appear that Alfie is indeed the one growing. Mr. Hoppy's plan works and he is able to finally win over Mrs. Silver's heart.
Show Less
LibraryThing member lisa211
This is a tale of a man, a woman and a tortoise. Nothing much ado about this book except the man, Mr Hoppy, is trying to catch the eye of Mrs Silver who has a ever so slow growing tortoise, Alfie. This growth problem gave Mr Hoppy the opportunity to be close to Mrs Silver and he cleverly devised a
Show More
plan.

This is a short read but I wasn't really into it that much. Good characters but doesn't really pull you in. Nice plot though. this would be a nice light read for kids out there.
Show Less
LibraryThing member areadingmachine
A deranged man is in love with his downstairs neighbour. She has a pet turtle. Because she is a moron she is impatient with her turtles growth rate and happens to mention this to said deranged man so he proceeds to lie and deceive her by stealing her turtle and exchanging it for a bigger one. He
Show More
does this quite a few times until it is too big that goes back and grabs a smaller one that is just right. She never notices the difference because she is a moron and they end up boning. The only saving grace for this whole story is that the innocent turtle that was previously living with a frigging idiot and a psycho for an upstairs neighbour, got to go and live with some chilled out chick with some goddamn patience.
Show Less
LibraryThing member flamingrosedrakon
First of all this is really my actual favorite book of Roald Dahl after having read several. His writings always seem to lean too much into vulgarity and gruesomeness while I never was attracted to those types of writings so upon reading this one it was a breath of fresh air since it basically
Show More
doesn't follow a Dahl's book although alluding enough that you can tell it is his.

There truly isn't much of a story besides a guy trying to get a woman's attention by becoming her hero even if there is trickery involved. And I can't understand some of the complaints about the personalities or responses of these two characters when they are so similar to the canon of other Dahl characters who are sometimes in rougher shape than either of these.

The wording and reading of the book are easy so there won't be much problems with younger crowds being able to read it if it catches their attention. Furthermore the book has enough pictures that I am sure the book collectively is a picture book than a small novel.

And finally best of all in my opinion is the tortoises. Dahl makes a small introduction as to the custom of keeping tortoise as well as the need for them to stop being pets before entering his story. All in all it is the drawing of these tortoises that I like for they have so much personality per tortoise while the looks on some of their faces is priceless.

Altogether this is a hit-or-miss story so you are either going to like it or not.... For any Dahl fans I would recommend one reading before making the final chop.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mstrust
Mr. Hoppy has been in love with the widowed Mrs. Silver for years. He lives in the apartment above hers and grows plants on his balcony, which gives him the excuse to look down and discuss her beloved pet turtle with her. When Mrs. Silver says that she would love nothing more than to see her little
Show More
Alfie grow into a big turtle, Mr. Hoppy forms a scheme.
Dahl's gentle yet humorous romantic tale.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bobbybslax
It was a cute bedtime story and I think it’s improved my fondness for turtles somehow, but the ending isn’t as pleasant as I expected. Marriages shouldn’t be founded on lies. But at least Alfie the Turtle lived/lives a good life.
LibraryThing member reader1009
children's short story; animals/dahl silliness. Judy Dench and Dustin Hoffman are set to star in the BBC's film version of the Dahl story--it's not his most memorable work, so I can see why our library has so few copies. Still, you can't argue with that casting.
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Hmph. I find this quite obnoxious. He's so shy that the only way he can actually talk to her is to play a nasty trick - lie to her, take away her beloved pet (I'm surprised she never noticed any difference), put himself to enormous pains in order to trick her into accepting him - and then accepting
Show More
his proposal (he couldn't just say it, without all the deceit?). And to top it off, her response is "I thought you'd never ask." I don't like it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Shahnareads
I want a room full of turtles.



The ending seemed a little rushed there, Mr. Dahl.
Just hop right onto that marriage train. Doesn't matter he tricked her and lied to her.
Jeeze.

Silliness.

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1990-09-03

Physical description

64 p.; 5.11 inches

ISBN

0142413828 / 9780142413821

Barcode

370
Page: 0.7945 seconds