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Jacob Two-Two #1
Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang
Poor Jacob Two-Two. Not only must he say everything twice just to be heard over his four brothers and sisters, but he finds himself the prisoner of the dreaded Hooded Fang. What had he done to deserve such a punishment? The worst crime of all � insulting a grown-up! Although he’s small, Jacob is not helpless, especially when The Infamous Two come to his aid.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
27 people are currently reading
647 people want to read
About the author
Mordecai Richler
54books358followersWorking-class Jewish background based novels, which include
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
(1959) and
Saint Urbain's Horseman
(1971), of Canadian writer Mordecai Richler.
People best know Barney's Version (1997) among works of this author, screenwriter, and essayist; people shortlisted his novel Solomon Gursky Was Here (1989) for the Man Booker Prize in 1990. He was also well known for the Jacob Two-two stories of children.
A scrap yard dealer reared this son on street in the mile end area of Montréal. He learned Yiddish and English and graduated from Baron Byng High School. Richler enrolled in Sir George Williams College (now Concordia University) to study English but dropped before completing his degree.
Years later, Leah Rosenberg, mother of Richler, published an autobiography, The Errand Runner: Memoirs of a Rabbi's Daughter (1981), which discusses birth and upbringing of Mordecai and the sometime difficult relationship.
Richler, intent on following in the footsteps of many of a previous "lost generation" of literary exiles of the 1920s from the United States, moved to Paris at age of 19 years in 1950.
Richler returned to Montréal in 1952, worked briefly at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and then moved to London in 1954. He, living in London meanwhile, published seven of his ten novels as well as considerable journalism.
Worrying "about being so long away from the roots of my discontent", Richler returned to Montréal in 1972. He wrote repeatedly about the Jewish community of Montréal and especially portraying his former neighborhood in multiple novels.
In England in 1954, Richler married Catherine Boudreau, a French-Canadian divorcée nine years his senior. On the eve of their wedding, he met Florence Wood Mann, a young married woman, who smited him.
Some years later, Richler and Mann divorced and married each other. He adopted Daniel Mann, her son. The couple had five children together: Daniel, Jacob, Noah, Martha and Emma. These events inspired his novel Barney's Version.
Richler died of cancer.
People best know Barney's Version (1997) among works of this author, screenwriter, and essayist; people shortlisted his novel Solomon Gursky Was Here (1989) for the Man Booker Prize in 1990. He was also well known for the Jacob Two-two stories of children.
A scrap yard dealer reared this son on street in the mile end area of Montréal. He learned Yiddish and English and graduated from Baron Byng High School. Richler enrolled in Sir George Williams College (now Concordia University) to study English but dropped before completing his degree.
Years later, Leah Rosenberg, mother of Richler, published an autobiography, The Errand Runner: Memoirs of a Rabbi's Daughter (1981), which discusses birth and upbringing of Mordecai and the sometime difficult relationship.
Richler, intent on following in the footsteps of many of a previous "lost generation" of literary exiles of the 1920s from the United States, moved to Paris at age of 19 years in 1950.
Richler returned to Montréal in 1952, worked briefly at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and then moved to London in 1954. He, living in London meanwhile, published seven of his ten novels as well as considerable journalism.
Worrying "about being so long away from the roots of my discontent", Richler returned to Montréal in 1972. He wrote repeatedly about the Jewish community of Montréal and especially portraying his former neighborhood in multiple novels.
In England in 1954, Richler married Catherine Boudreau, a French-Canadian divorcée nine years his senior. On the eve of their wedding, he met Florence Wood Mann, a young married woman, who smited him.
Some years later, Richler and Mann divorced and married each other. He adopted Daniel Mann, her son. The couple had five children together: Daniel, Jacob, Noah, Martha and Emma. These events inspired his novel Barney's Version.
Richler died of cancer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
August 16, 2011
We all grew up with television, right? I still remember when I was a 5-y/o toddler and I was sitting on the floor right in front of our black-and-white television. I was watching a belly dancer and my parents and siblings were laughing because I was having a hard-on.
I also remember the many times that my mother asked us not to watch too close to the TV screen as the radiation it can damage our eyes. So, when I became a father, I said the same thing to my daughter. We all tend to tell to our children those things that we heard from our parents when we were young. We sometimes take those as bible-truths without asking why. I remembered this while reading this classic children’s book, Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1975) because the main protagonist, Jacob says everything twice because he thinks that his parents and four older siblings do not hear him if he says what he wants to say only once.
Mordecai Richler (1931-2001) was a Canadian Jewish author, screenwriter and essayist. His 1989 novel Solomon Gursky Was Here was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1990. However, his most popular book seems to be Barney’s Version released in 1997, that was an autobiography by Barney Panofsky recounting his life in varying detail with the ending having Alzheimer’s Disease. In an interview before his death in 2001, he said that his original goal was only to have at least one book that would honestly portray the difficulties they faced by Jewish minorities in Montreal in the 30’s and 40’s. He ended up writing a lot of known and bestselling books, movie scripts and has been recognized as one of the writers who made relevance to Canada’s history as a nation.
When Jacob is imprisoned with scary Hooded Fang as the warden, he does not feel afraid because he thinks that Hooded Fang is, deep inside, a good man. This reminded me of the good-natured Jewish people in concentration camps during that Holocaust who clung to their hopes that the German camp leaders still had goodness in their hearts despite the blatant atrocities that they were doing. Richler’s Jewish parents fled Europe before he was born but still he suffered being ostracized in downtown Montreal while he was growing up.
While reading the book, I tried thinking what could I have felt following the adventures or misadventures of Jacob Two-Two. He is helpless and lost when he is persecuted getting a prison sentence of 2 years, 3 months, 2 weeks and 2 minutes. He must have felt really sad while being brought to the Children Prison hundreds of miles away from the civilization. However, he must still be hopeful because his elder brother and sister gave him a tracker so that he could be rescued later. So, there is still hope that is probably similar to the hope that the Jewish people kept in the hearts while suffering inside the concentration camps.
So, why do children stay too close to the TV while watching? Child psychologists say that it is because their surroundings are noisy and they are very interested on what they are watching. So, they go near the TV so as not to be distracted. Funny, right? If we see them too close to the TV, we tell them repeatedly to sit stay away from the screen or else their eyes would be damaged. Then because of our noisy nagging, they would go nearer. So, it becomes a chicken-and-egg thing. The trick is to be silent, give them space and let them enjoy the show. Having your son with a hard-on is normal be it in the morning when he wakes up or while watching a TV show with a bevy of dancing beauties.
I also remember the many times that my mother asked us not to watch too close to the TV screen as the radiation it can damage our eyes. So, when I became a father, I said the same thing to my daughter. We all tend to tell to our children those things that we heard from our parents when we were young. We sometimes take those as bible-truths without asking why. I remembered this while reading this classic children’s book, Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1975) because the main protagonist, Jacob says everything twice because he thinks that his parents and four older siblings do not hear him if he says what he wants to say only once.
Mordecai Richler (1931-2001) was a Canadian Jewish author, screenwriter and essayist. His 1989 novel Solomon Gursky Was Here was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1990. However, his most popular book seems to be Barney’s Version released in 1997, that was an autobiography by Barney Panofsky recounting his life in varying detail with the ending having Alzheimer’s Disease. In an interview before his death in 2001, he said that his original goal was only to have at least one book that would honestly portray the difficulties they faced by Jewish minorities in Montreal in the 30’s and 40’s. He ended up writing a lot of known and bestselling books, movie scripts and has been recognized as one of the writers who made relevance to Canada’s history as a nation.
When Jacob is imprisoned with scary Hooded Fang as the warden, he does not feel afraid because he thinks that Hooded Fang is, deep inside, a good man. This reminded me of the good-natured Jewish people in concentration camps during that Holocaust who clung to their hopes that the German camp leaders still had goodness in their hearts despite the blatant atrocities that they were doing. Richler’s Jewish parents fled Europe before he was born but still he suffered being ostracized in downtown Montreal while he was growing up.
While reading the book, I tried thinking what could I have felt following the adventures or misadventures of Jacob Two-Two. He is helpless and lost when he is persecuted getting a prison sentence of 2 years, 3 months, 2 weeks and 2 minutes. He must have felt really sad while being brought to the Children Prison hundreds of miles away from the civilization. However, he must still be hopeful because his elder brother and sister gave him a tracker so that he could be rescued later. So, there is still hope that is probably similar to the hope that the Jewish people kept in the hearts while suffering inside the concentration camps.
So, why do children stay too close to the TV while watching? Child psychologists say that it is because their surroundings are noisy and they are very interested on what they are watching. So, they go near the TV so as not to be distracted. Funny, right? If we see them too close to the TV, we tell them repeatedly to sit stay away from the screen or else their eyes would be damaged. Then because of our noisy nagging, they would go nearer. So, it becomes a chicken-and-egg thing. The trick is to be silent, give them space and let them enjoy the show. Having your son with a hard-on is normal be it in the morning when he wakes up or while watching a TV show with a bevy of dancing beauties.
May 18, 2009
I remember very clearly ordering and receiving this book through my primary school book club ... and to this day, this little book is one of my most treasured possessions ... granted it's well loved and a little worn around the edges - but so am I
as a kid I was completely enthralled by the story ... incensed at the injustice of the grown ups ... appalled at just how mean Master Fish and Mistress Fowl could be ... chuffed at Shapiro & O'Toole's bravado ... frightened (but only a little) of the Hooded Fang ... and sincerely impressed with Jacob himself ... I'm pretty sure I also went about repeating everything I said twice for a short but no doubt annoying time
and today (yes I still read it - although it doesn't take me as long anymore) it's a reminder for me to be brave and true even when all the grown ups are against me
gorgeous gorgeous
as a kid I was completely enthralled by the story ... incensed at the injustice of the grown ups ... appalled at just how mean Master Fish and Mistress Fowl could be ... chuffed at Shapiro & O'Toole's bravado ... frightened (but only a little) of the Hooded Fang ... and sincerely impressed with Jacob himself ... I'm pretty sure I also went about repeating everything I said twice for a short but no doubt annoying time
and today (yes I still read it - although it doesn't take me as long anymore) it's a reminder for me to be brave and true even when all the grown ups are against me
gorgeous gorgeous
February 2, 2014
I just reread this after an interlude of perhaps thirty-five years. It's a charming, witty story of a Jacob, who is the youngest in his large family and thus has to say everything twice to be heard. Eventually this annoying and misunderstood habit gets him in trouble with a nasty grocer, and he ends up on a prison island for rude children. (Hey--it could happen.) The head baddie on the island is, of course, the Hooded Fang. Who do you think wins out eventually?
I enjoyed this as a kid, but a lot of the wit and cleverness jumped out at me more when I reread it as an adult. And I should probably mention that my ten-year-old, upon being urged to read it, found it okay but not great. (However, he did then jump right into the sequel, so that should tell you something.) It's a funny parody of an action-adventure-superhero novel, and it's a quick read for early middle grades. I really enjoyed it.
I enjoyed this as a kid, but a lot of the wit and cleverness jumped out at me more when I reread it as an adult. And I should probably mention that my ten-year-old, upon being urged to read it, found it okay but not great. (However, he did then jump right into the sequel, so that should tell you something.) It's a funny parody of an action-adventure-superhero novel, and it's a quick read for early middle grades. I really enjoyed it.
February 20, 2019
Well this was certainly the wander down memory lane for me. I remember reading this book way back in 1977 (well I think it was read to me at that stage) and I have read it a few times in the intervening years. It was funny to go back and revisit the book - of course, the language and the concepts were a little dated, a little naive, a little less PC, but truly this book did make me a bit nostalgic, for those easier times, when you were young and had no worries and all you wanted to do was grow up.
November 29, 2018
Non mi sorprende che chi ha scritto la scoppiettante, dissacrante versione di Barney abbia saputo scrivere un gran bel libro per bambini. Mi ci vuole un/una nipote per poterlo leggere a voce alta
February 1, 2019
This has been on my TBR list forever, so glad to finally mark it off, beautiful book :)
March 27, 2011
I read this book only because it's referenced all the time in the Baby-Sitter's Club Little Sister books.
Jacob Two-Two is the youngest child in his family. He has two brothers and two sisters, and due to being the smallest and youngest, he says everything twice just so he can be heard. I hear ya', Jacob! Anyway, his double talking lands him in what he perceives as trouble. Little does he know the greengrocer was just pulling his leg. But Jacob, having run out before he could learn otherwise, somehow lands in court and gets sent to a horrible children's prison.
I will say this book might be a touch dark for its intended audience. Maybe, I don't know. I deal with older children, personally. But this is a cute book, and a bit lengthy for young kids. But there's a lot of silly laughs and honestly, it's cute enough to read with your kid as part of an ongoing bedtime story, or something after their afternoon nap.
Jacob Two-Two is the youngest child in his family. He has two brothers and two sisters, and due to being the smallest and youngest, he says everything twice just so he can be heard. I hear ya', Jacob! Anyway, his double talking lands him in what he perceives as trouble. Little does he know the greengrocer was just pulling his leg. But Jacob, having run out before he could learn otherwise, somehow lands in court and gets sent to a horrible children's prison.
I will say this book might be a touch dark for its intended audience. Maybe, I don't know. I deal with older children, personally. But this is a cute book, and a bit lengthy for young kids. But there's a lot of silly laughs and honestly, it's cute enough to read with your kid as part of an ongoing bedtime story, or something after their afternoon nap.
January 22, 2019
I loved this book as a child! Rereading it now that I'm older, I realise just how clever and funny it really is. I'm now an elementary school librarian, and I read this aloud to my grade 5 and 6 classes. Despite its age, they absolutely loved it! I had many kids asking for the other books in the series after we'd finished reading it, so I consider that a success!
May 22, 2023
This is a humorous tale about a young boy and his family.
interesting quotes:
"'Don't you think there ought to be a place,' snarled Master Fish,'for little people so utterly hopeless they can't even ride a two-wheel bicycle?'" (p. 29)
interesting quotes:
"'Don't you think there ought to be a place,' snarled Master Fish,'for little people so utterly hopeless they can't even ride a two-wheel bicycle?'" (p. 29)
February 7, 2018
3.5
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พออ่านไปก็น่ารัก มีเหตุมีผลด�
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จาค็อบพลิกผั�
เรื่องนี้ถ้าได้อ่านสักตอนประถมคงสนุกมากๆสำหรับเด็กเลยล่� เห็นวางขายที่ร้านหนังสือสมัยตอนยังอยู่มัธยมไม่ได้หยิบมาอ่าน เห็นอีกทีเลยเอามาอ่านให้หายคิดถึงตอนเป็นเด็กซะเลย
เห็นชื่อเรื่องตอนแรกก็ว่าทำไมมันต้องม� สอ�-สอ� ดูสะเหล่อๆด�
พออ่านไปก็น่ารัก มีเหตุมีผลด�
จาค็อบ มีพี่ชาย2คน พี่สาว2คน มีหู2หู ตา2ตา แข�2ข้าง เท้�2ข้าง และที่สำคัญเขายังพูดอะไรซ้ำกัน2ครั้� (เหตุผลเพราะ ด้วยความเป็นน้องเล็กสุด พี่ๆเลยมักไม่ค่อยฟังน้องก่อ� จาค็อบเลยต้องพูดย้ำเป็นครั้งที�2 คนในบ้านจึงจะเริ่มหันมาฟัง55)
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จาค็อบพลิกผั�
เรื่องนี้ถ้าได้อ่านสักตอนประถมคงสนุกมากๆสำหรับเด็กเลยล่� เห็นวางขายที่ร้านหนังสือสมัยตอนยังอยู่มัธยมไม่ได้หยิบมาอ่าน เห็นอีกทีเลยเอามาอ่านให้หายคิดถึงตอนเป็นเด็กซะเลย
January 18, 2021
One of my partners favourite children book. Not sure why Montreal writer Richler set this in London.
July 30, 2021
Had the little guy repeating everything twice. :)
April 12, 2022
Imaginative children's story that will have them both laughing and peeking out from under the blankets! A fun read.
June 17, 2023
Täitsa jabur ja imelik raamat. No oli mõnes kohas humoorikas, aga ma pigem tundus, et lastele ettelugemiseks liiga hirmutav ja kas nad ikka saavad nendest täiskasvanute naljadest aru.
Ei olnud üldse minu teema.
Ei olnud üldse minu teema.
November 27, 2014
Ok...how to review this?
So, I watched the movie first (gasps of horror), and thought it was TERRIBLE. Then I saw there was a book that was only about 80 pages, and I thought it would be funny to read it. Maybe the book is better right? Well, it was better, but still not very good. Probably because this would have been my reading level about 5 years ago. The story wasn't very deep, and they didn't give many details, so I was a little confused at some points. Younger kids probably wouldn't care though.
So, it was an okay book, but better for like 3rd or 4th grader. (JUST DONT WATCH THE MOVIE)
So, I watched the movie first (gasps of horror), and thought it was TERRIBLE. Then I saw there was a book that was only about 80 pages, and I thought it would be funny to read it. Maybe the book is better right? Well, it was better, but still not very good. Probably because this would have been my reading level about 5 years ago. The story wasn't very deep, and they didn't give many details, so I was a little confused at some points. Younger kids probably wouldn't care though.
So, it was an okay book, but better for like 3rd or 4th grader. (JUST DONT WATCH THE MOVIE)
So, I watched the movie first (gasps of horror), and thought it was TERRIBLE. Then I saw there was a book that was only about 80 pages, and I thought it would be funny to read it. Maybe the book is better right? Well, it was better, but still not very good. Probably because this would have been my reading level about 5 years ago. The story wasn't very deep, and they didn't give many details, so I was a little confused at some points. Younger kids probably wouldn't care though.
So, it was an okay book, but better for like 3rd or 4th grader. (JUST DONT WATCH THE MOVIE)
So, I watched the movie first (gasps of horror), and thought it was TERRIBLE. Then I saw there was a book that was only about 80 pages, and I thought it would be funny to read it. Maybe the book is better right? Well, it was better, but still not very good. Probably because this would have been my reading level about 5 years ago. The story wasn't very deep, and they didn't give many details, so I was a little confused at some points. Younger kids probably wouldn't care though.
So, it was an okay book, but better for like 3rd or 4th grader. (JUST DONT WATCH THE MOVIE)
April 1, 2013
We loved to read this book out loud to the girls and once, a few years back, Christopher Plummer came to Stratford and read this book (with the illustrations projected on to a screen behind him) to support a charity that I've forgotten. I bought tickets to take my mother and the girls. My mother fell asleep, my oldest daughter squirmed but our youngest daughter - probably 4 or 5 at the time - loved it. She loved it and laughed louder than most of the people in the audience. I remember that event like it was one of the bright spots in their childhood because it blended so many great things at one - going to Stratford to see something live with a big crowd, taking my mom, seeing Christopher Plummer live (he spoke so well of Mordecai Richler before he began the reading) and the thrill of that voice reading those great words. It was wonderful. This is a book that all kids should read and then they can forever make jokes about being like little Jacob and going to the corner store to get a tomato.
September 19, 2014
Jacob Two Two was a book that stuck with me from child hood. It gave me my earliest introduction - and fascination with - super heroes/secret heroes via the Intrepid Shapiro and the Fearless O'Toole. I don't know how many times I heard it read aloud or read it myself as a child, but it was definitely more than once! Jacob's perception of the world is so honest that concepts from the book make for repeatable jokes with one's own children. For example, the whole concept of yesterday,today and tomorrow - my sons will say at dinner "Ahh, tell us again the part where Jacob thinks today is tomorrow!" The writing is exceptional,and the pacing is exciting and the peripheral characters are wonderful. I read it aloud to my first son when he started Grade 1 but was not yet 2+2+2 years old. And I read it again this year out loud to both boys in anticipation of my younger son coming up on 2+2+2 years old. A perennial favourite and not to be missed!
July 9, 2013
As a child in school, I heard "Jacob Two-Two Meets The Hooded Fang" humorously mentioned but knew nothing about it. I also have vague awareness of Mordecai Richler and was surprised to find him author of this whimsical character. I discovered it was a series, by him, after picking up "Jacob Two-Two & The Dinosaur" in a thrift store. Preferring to observe the timeline of story development, I soon found this prequel at another sale and dug in.
This embodies a definite stretch of imagination, pertaining to Mordecai's originality and the tale itself being a dream. I applaud the great degree of detail and tremendous whimsy that resulted.
This embodies a definite stretch of imagination, pertaining to Mordecai's originality and the tale itself being a dream. I applaud the great degree of detail and tremendous whimsy that resulted.
January 11, 2022
This book was originally read to my primary school class from a large hardback edition. I remember that our teacher read it well and held up the illustrations for us to peer at from our positions on the floor, sitting cross-legged. The copy I have, owned for several years now, is only a small paperback, which is somewhat disappointing. Part of the magic of hearing this book for the first time � I must have been very young to be impressed by so little � was the floor mats we would sit on as a class, rolled out for special treats like this, and the size of the book, which I assumed must be a special book especially given to teachers.
Jacob Two-Two of the title, is a young boy, possibly only a little younger than the age I was when I was read this book: two plus two plus two years old. Everything in Jacob’s life seems to be identified in twos or lots of twos. He has two brothers and two sisters, as well as “two ears and two eyes and two arms and two feet and two shoes.� Jacob Two-Two says most things twice because his family rarely pay him attention. His efforts to help or show independence are dismissed because he is so young. His sisters and brothers can all “ride-two wheel bicycles, dial a telephone number, whistle, do joined-up writing, play draughts, and catch a ball.� Jacob Two-Two can’t, and he sometimes feels excluded as a result.
This alone makes Jacob Two-Two appealing to young children. Mordecai Richler taps into the frustrations of the very young and their aspirations. He allows Jacob Two-Two to speak with the confidence of the very young, while also giving voice to the overwhelming feelings that new experiences can bring. When Jacob Two-Two’s father finally relents and allows him to go to the greengrocer on his own to buy “two pounds of firm, red tomatoes�, Jacob Two-Two is both elated and “just a little frightened because this was his first errand�.
But the real magic of the book is the way it weaves a fantasy world from the ordinary everyday world, along with its tremendous humour. When Jacob Two-Two repeats his order of “two pounds of firm, red tomatoes� to Mr Cooper, the Greengrocer, Mr Cooper responds with mock-outrage that he should be made fun of, and possibly carries the joke too far for the credulous Jacob, when he calls a policeman into the shop to play along. Jacob Two-Two flees and runs into Richmond Park, through the iron gates that “were shut after dark, like prison bars�. There are hints all through the opening chapters of the fantasy adventure Jacob Two-Two will have when he presumably falls asleep in Richmond Park and dreams. His brother and sister, Noah and Emma, have rejected him from their make-believe game as they take on the heroic identities of the intrepid Shapiro and the fearless O’Toole. His older sister, Marfa, has been watching the Hooded Fang wrestle on television. She tells her impressionable little brother that the Hooded Fang “will jump out of the TV set any minute and chew you two bits.� And a seemingly exasperated Mr Cooper demands Jacob Two-Two “be charged with insulting behaviour to a big person.�
The premise of the story, of course, is not original. The idea that Jacob Two-Two’s problems from real life will be resolved in his dream is familiar from The Wizard of Oz, for instance. But Jacob Two-Two’s dream world is wonderfully realised by Richler. His fantasy world is filled with outrageously egregious adults and situations, with laughable names that tell us everything we need to know about each character. Jacob’s barrister before the children’s court is the hapless Louis Loser who has never won a case. Jacob is worried he cannot afford to pay Loser: “If you could afford it, you’d pay me to stay home in bed,� is Louis Loser rejoinder. Jacob’s judge is the overbearing Mr Justice Rough, who leads his court in chants that reinforce the demoralising maxims of childhood: “BIG PEOPLE ARE NEVER WRONG�; “FOR YOU OWN GOOD� and the high-minded claim that it hurts grownups “MORE THAN IT HURTS YOU�.
But the centrepiece of the story is the Children’s prison on Slimer’s Isle, where awaits the dreaded Hooded Fang, the one-time wrestler, turned prison warden. The children’s prison is accessed by a wonderfully ridiculous array of transport � “car, train, bus, canoe, helicopter, ox-cart, rickshaw, stilts, dinghy, skis, submarine, flying balloon, camel, raft, dog-sledge, roller skates, glider and motorcycle� � escorted by Mistress Fowl and Master Fish (who look exactly as their names suggest), who warn Jacob Two-Two of vampires, kidnappers, monsters and aliens, and force him to bail out their boat to prevent its sinking into the murky waters inhabited by “blood-thirsty sharks� and “slimy crocodiles�, as they paddle towards the prison.
One fact that is interesting to consider is that Mordecai Richler was a Canadian writer, yet he chose to set this novel in England. It surely isn’t reading too much into this to assume Richler chose England because Jacob Two-Two’s story is meant to be a modern-day Dickensian fable. The contempt shown to children and their comic book punishments for trifling crimes (like getting sick when visitors are expected) recalls the treatment of children that Dickens chronicled in his novels over a century beforehand .....
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Jacob Two-Two of the title, is a young boy, possibly only a little younger than the age I was when I was read this book: two plus two plus two years old. Everything in Jacob’s life seems to be identified in twos or lots of twos. He has two brothers and two sisters, as well as “two ears and two eyes and two arms and two feet and two shoes.� Jacob Two-Two says most things twice because his family rarely pay him attention. His efforts to help or show independence are dismissed because he is so young. His sisters and brothers can all “ride-two wheel bicycles, dial a telephone number, whistle, do joined-up writing, play draughts, and catch a ball.� Jacob Two-Two can’t, and he sometimes feels excluded as a result.
This alone makes Jacob Two-Two appealing to young children. Mordecai Richler taps into the frustrations of the very young and their aspirations. He allows Jacob Two-Two to speak with the confidence of the very young, while also giving voice to the overwhelming feelings that new experiences can bring. When Jacob Two-Two’s father finally relents and allows him to go to the greengrocer on his own to buy “two pounds of firm, red tomatoes�, Jacob Two-Two is both elated and “just a little frightened because this was his first errand�.
But the real magic of the book is the way it weaves a fantasy world from the ordinary everyday world, along with its tremendous humour. When Jacob Two-Two repeats his order of “two pounds of firm, red tomatoes� to Mr Cooper, the Greengrocer, Mr Cooper responds with mock-outrage that he should be made fun of, and possibly carries the joke too far for the credulous Jacob, when he calls a policeman into the shop to play along. Jacob Two-Two flees and runs into Richmond Park, through the iron gates that “were shut after dark, like prison bars�. There are hints all through the opening chapters of the fantasy adventure Jacob Two-Two will have when he presumably falls asleep in Richmond Park and dreams. His brother and sister, Noah and Emma, have rejected him from their make-believe game as they take on the heroic identities of the intrepid Shapiro and the fearless O’Toole. His older sister, Marfa, has been watching the Hooded Fang wrestle on television. She tells her impressionable little brother that the Hooded Fang “will jump out of the TV set any minute and chew you two bits.� And a seemingly exasperated Mr Cooper demands Jacob Two-Two “be charged with insulting behaviour to a big person.�
The premise of the story, of course, is not original. The idea that Jacob Two-Two’s problems from real life will be resolved in his dream is familiar from The Wizard of Oz, for instance. But Jacob Two-Two’s dream world is wonderfully realised by Richler. His fantasy world is filled with outrageously egregious adults and situations, with laughable names that tell us everything we need to know about each character. Jacob’s barrister before the children’s court is the hapless Louis Loser who has never won a case. Jacob is worried he cannot afford to pay Loser: “If you could afford it, you’d pay me to stay home in bed,� is Louis Loser rejoinder. Jacob’s judge is the overbearing Mr Justice Rough, who leads his court in chants that reinforce the demoralising maxims of childhood: “BIG PEOPLE ARE NEVER WRONG�; “FOR YOU OWN GOOD� and the high-minded claim that it hurts grownups “MORE THAN IT HURTS YOU�.
But the centrepiece of the story is the Children’s prison on Slimer’s Isle, where awaits the dreaded Hooded Fang, the one-time wrestler, turned prison warden. The children’s prison is accessed by a wonderfully ridiculous array of transport � “car, train, bus, canoe, helicopter, ox-cart, rickshaw, stilts, dinghy, skis, submarine, flying balloon, camel, raft, dog-sledge, roller skates, glider and motorcycle� � escorted by Mistress Fowl and Master Fish (who look exactly as their names suggest), who warn Jacob Two-Two of vampires, kidnappers, monsters and aliens, and force him to bail out their boat to prevent its sinking into the murky waters inhabited by “blood-thirsty sharks� and “slimy crocodiles�, as they paddle towards the prison.
One fact that is interesting to consider is that Mordecai Richler was a Canadian writer, yet he chose to set this novel in England. It surely isn’t reading too much into this to assume Richler chose England because Jacob Two-Two’s story is meant to be a modern-day Dickensian fable. The contempt shown to children and their comic book punishments for trifling crimes (like getting sick when visitors are expected) recalls the treatment of children that Dickens chronicled in his novels over a century beforehand .....
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September 29, 2019
I loved Jacob Two Two as a child - this one and the one with the dinosaur.
As a reread it was pretty enjoyable. It’s one of those books that’s about the powerlessness and hence frustration of being a small person in a world of grownups and older kids, all of whom get to boss you around. But Jacob manages to defeat the adults, with the help of his siblings.
Except of course that it was all a bad dream.
As a reread it was pretty enjoyable. It’s one of those books that’s about the powerlessness and hence frustration of being a small person in a world of grownups and older kids, all of whom get to boss you around. But Jacob manages to defeat the adults, with the help of his siblings.
Except of course that it was all a bad dream.
March 30, 2025
It's hard to express just what a classic of Canadian children's lit this is. It doesn't matter how old I am, I still pick it up and read it just for the sheer joy of it, especially when I forget just how enjoyable children find scary things sometimes.
May 3, 2023
I've been finding it challenging to find stories, where the main character is 2+2+2 years old where the plot isn't condescendingly simple fluff. This imaginative tale speaks to the injustices faced by children (not being listened to, getting teased, not being allowed to do things, getting punished for things that aren't their fault, puzzles that are missing pieces) in a fun empowering way.
I introduced the book the my 6 year old saying "Hmmm, the hooded fang looks scary. I don't think you're ready for it." This only emboldened her interest in reading it. Little did I know that a major theme of the book was looking at how people that might seem big and scary could actually be funny and childish.... and laughing at them can take their power away.
I actually had read it before as a child, I didn't remember any of the details of the story, but it's one of very few books that I remember reading at that age, and I remembered that it was good. Decades later my little one seems to agree. We're now starting our own superhero team together called 'Fearless Super Kids', and will have to paint ourselves shirts.
At the beginning I was a little unsure this was going to be a good read. I wasn't so crazy about the loser lawyer chapter. The premise for the grocers tease didn't seem to make a lot of sense to me (but maybe the things adults tease about rarely make sense to children?). In the end those two minor quibbles are easy to overlook.
I introduced the book the my 6 year old saying "Hmmm, the hooded fang looks scary. I don't think you're ready for it." This only emboldened her interest in reading it. Little did I know that a major theme of the book was looking at how people that might seem big and scary could actually be funny and childish.... and laughing at them can take their power away.
I actually had read it before as a child, I didn't remember any of the details of the story, but it's one of very few books that I remember reading at that age, and I remembered that it was good. Decades later my little one seems to agree. We're now starting our own superhero team together called 'Fearless Super Kids', and will have to paint ourselves shirts.
At the beginning I was a little unsure this was going to be a good read. I wasn't so crazy about the loser lawyer chapter. The premise for the grocers tease didn't seem to make a lot of sense to me (but maybe the things adults tease about rarely make sense to children?). In the end those two minor quibbles are easy to overlook.
February 12, 2024
I read Jacob Two-Two for my class "Survey of Canadian Literature," and I am not disappointed! I am a huge fan of children's literature, and I would not change anything about this book: it is funny, witty, and touching, as it reminds us of what it is like to be a child lost in an adult world. I just loved the book's irony, where Jacob has to repeat everything twice precisely because of his age, because none of the people (including adults) around listen to him. But once they do, they find the boy to be incredibly unnerving and rude, which lands him in prison. Jacob was taught by adults to repeat himself to be heard, but once they heard him, they got upset and admonished him for something they had taught. I loved the exploration of the adult-child relationship, of the disconnection that happens once one matures without realizing it. Transitioning from a young child to an adult is something that happens seamlessly, that creeps up on you over the years until one can no longer remember what it feels like to be a child, and one becomes desensitized to their issues and inner turmoil. Ultimately, this book serves as a great reminder that "little people" are people too, and anyone deserves to be listened to.
December 29, 2024
I read Jacob Two-Two for my class "Survey of Canadian Literature," and I am not disappointed! I am a huge fan of children's literature, and I would not change anything about this book: it is funny, witty, and touching, as it reminds us of what it is like to be a child lost in an adult world. I just loved the book's irony, where Jacob has to repeat everything twice precisely because of his age, because none of the people (including adults) around listen to him. But once they do, they find the boy to be incredibly unnerving and rude, which lands him in prison. Jacob was taught by adults to repeat himself to be heard, but once they heard him, they got upset and admonished him for something they had taught. I loved the exploration of the adult-child relationship, of the disconnection that happens once one matures without realizing it. Transitioning from a young child to an adult is something that happens seamlessly, that creeps up on you over the years until one can no longer remember what it feels like to be a child, and one becomes desensitized to their issues and inner turmoil. Ultimately, this book serves as a great reminder that "little people" are people too, and anyone deserves to be listened to.
February 28, 2023
When I feel my reading pace turn sluggish or my reading attention starting to fracture I turn to page flippers to lasso myself back in. Graphic novels, young adult, and, recently, middle-grade fiction. I found this classic in a Little Free Library and it had the same pumpkin-orange cover I remembered as a kid. Richler wrote it in 1975 and it’s a triumph of children’s literature and storytelling. It opens: “Once there was a boy called Jacob Two-Two. He was two plus two plus two years old. He had two ears and two eyes and two arms and two feet and two shoes.� Turns out he says everything twice because nobody listens to him the first time. After a run-in with a grocer down the street, he’s sentenced to a horrible prison run by the Hooded Fang. This book gets into the thorny parts of the typical nightmares of young kids and has a wonderfully unique “superkid superhero� tone. Btw: If you don’t know Mordecai Richler I highly recommend Barney’s Version. That one's for adults! One of the funniest and fastest-paced books I’ve ever read.
December 18, 2018
I still have a fond childhood memory of a play by a local theatre company based on this book. I remember being horrified by the Hooded Fang and feeling hope and enthusiasm every time Child Power appeared. But it's amazing how much a book like this gets dated over the passage of time -- this one moreso than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I'm afraid. Jacob Two-Two can't turn on a TV without getting snow on the screen -- what's that today?! He can't slice bread without it being a foot thick on one end and thin as paper on the other ... but today we buy sliced bread! Even the idea of "private property signs being put on vacant lots" loses its meaning when our kids unfortunately don't explore neighbourhoods as much as they used to! Nevertheless, my daughter seemed to enjoy it as much as my son did when I read it to him when he turned 6!
August 14, 2022
Published in 1975, this is a funny little tale about a six-year-old boy who always says everything twice because he is the youngest in a big family. As such, he always has to repeat himself in order to be heard. Young children from big families will relate to Jacob's woes and will laugh at his strange (and somewhat scary) adventures where adults are evil and kids win out in the end.
Fritz Wegner's illustrations are excellent and add much to the story.
Best for ages 5-11.
PARENTAL GUIDE:
* Jacob's older siblings lie to him about what school is like in order to frighten him. (They are not particularly nice to him, in general...). p8, 12
* "idiot" p34, 54, 58
* "I hate you" p60
* Jacob Two Two lies and crosses his fingers behind his back. p65
* "Oh, G--, no!" p68
* Kids call a villain "fatso." p72
Fritz Wegner's illustrations are excellent and add much to the story.
Best for ages 5-11.
PARENTAL GUIDE:
* Jacob's older siblings lie to him about what school is like in order to frighten him. (They are not particularly nice to him, in general...). p8, 12
* "idiot" p34, 54, 58
* "I hate you" p60
* Jacob Two Two lies and crosses his fingers behind his back. p65
* "Oh, G--, no!" p68
* Kids call a villain "fatso." p72
February 6, 2019
Jacob Two-Two is a little boy who is not afraid of anything. He probably learned that from his siblings, the Fearless O'Toole and the intrepid Shapiro, who wore "Child Power" tee shirts and capes.
Since Jacob said everything twice, he got into trouble with adults. One day, an adult was insulted by him, so he was sent to children's prison. He met the Hooded Fang there, who had every child trembling in his shoes. But Jacob wasn't afraid; the Hooded Fang had a secret that Jacob was aware of. Find out the Hooded Fang's secret, and how Jacob saves the imprisoned children. The author understands children's imaginations, and writes with wit and humor.
Since Jacob said everything twice, he got into trouble with adults. One day, an adult was insulted by him, so he was sent to children's prison. He met the Hooded Fang there, who had every child trembling in his shoes. But Jacob wasn't afraid; the Hooded Fang had a secret that Jacob was aware of. Find out the Hooded Fang's secret, and how Jacob saves the imprisoned children. The author understands children's imaginations, and writes with wit and humor.
April 18, 2019
My ten year old thought, “throughout the story, I kept thinking, is it a dream, or is it real? And, I really liked the two super heroes. And it was really funny when the Hooded Fang said ‘no, I’m not funny. I’m horrible, terrible, and mean�; and then he started crying when Jacob Two Two started smothering him; and how at the end, he got two Child Power stickers.�
My seven year old, who is 2+2+2+1, thought “I didn’t like it because I don’t know why, I just didn’t like it!� —he did, however, want me to read it every night....
My seven year old, who is 2+2+2+1, thought “I didn’t like it because I don’t know why, I just didn’t like it!� —he did, however, want me to read it every night....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2024
*3.5 ⭐️
Keeping in mind that this is a children’s book and I am merely reading this for class, I genuinely enjoyed the book and flew through it in a matter of hours (which is always a nice feeling), never mind that the pages were quite small and the font a little larger than normal 😅. Overall, a very enjoyable book for most ages, children, teens, and young adults included, and I would definitely recommend this to a child going through middle school, as I feel like this book would help make them enjoy reading.
Humor? �
Adventure? �
Adorable illustrations? �
Keeping in mind that this is a children’s book and I am merely reading this for class, I genuinely enjoyed the book and flew through it in a matter of hours (which is always a nice feeling), never mind that the pages were quite small and the font a little larger than normal 😅. Overall, a very enjoyable book for most ages, children, teens, and young adults included, and I would definitely recommend this to a child going through middle school, as I feel like this book would help make them enjoy reading.
Humor? �
Adventure? �
Adorable illustrations? �
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