The Sweetest Fig

Van Allsburg, C. (1993). The Sweetest Fig. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

 

The Sweetest Fig is a picture book about a dentist who helps an old lady with a tooth ache. The lady can not pay him but gives him two figs and tells him they are special figs that can make your dreams come true.  Find out what happens by reading The Sweetest Fig.

The Sweetest Fig has very few characters in the book however it is developed very well and has a very good moral to it. While The Sweetest Fig is a picture book it has a wonderful theme it teaches a lesson and helps people to realize being rich is not the most important thing in life. 

The Sweetest Fig can be used in the classroom to show students to appreciate what they have and to remember that some people need our help even if they can not pay for the services with money. The dentist learned a valuable lesson at the end of the book. This lesson can be taught in a classroom to show respect, kindness, and could be used in conjunction with books such as Asopes Fables.

The Sweetest Fig is in the picture book genre because it has pictures that could tell the story without words. It also has a story line that younger students can follow along with and learn a lesson from the book. 

Most students would enjoy this book because it has some serious parts but some funny parts as well. Students would also enjoy the ending because it is funny and teaches a valuable lesson.

This book would be appropriate for student in the third or fourth grade. It is on a 3.7 grade level.

A making inferences and drawing conclusions activity can be done with this book.
Some of the questions could be

• "What does the author mean when he says that Bibot will teach Marcel a lesson?"
• "Why does Bibot agree to help the old woman?"
• "How does Bibot feel about Marcel?"

Thoughtful questions about this book: 

- Why do people wish for things they can not have:? 

- Is it more important to want our lives to be different or to appreciate what we have?
- Why do people want to be rich? Do you think people who have lots of money are always happy?