Hoban's extraordinary virtuosity with language, plot and character make these very stimulating stories for children and their parents. He touches on dark moments and emotions and offers no easy solutions - rather like in his adult books - but does all this in a way that is also delightful. My children started on the Frances stories (which are more ordinary and orthodox) and while my girls still prefer them, my son (4 1/2) is a great fan of these more off-beat tales. It's always good to have something on the shelf that you enjoy reading to the children, and all Russell Hoban's children's books meet that criterion... but these stories particularly so.