Rare Beasts (EDGAR AND ELLEN) - Hardcover

Charles Ogden

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1582461104 ISBN 13: 9781582461106

Publisher: Tricycle Press, 2005

Synopsis

The sinister siblings, twins Edgar and Ellen, kidnap the pets of Nod's Limb's youngest citizens and turn them into "rare beasts" in hopes of making money to finance future pranks. 25,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

Young twins Edgar and Ellen make the Grinch look positively benevolent. Living alone in a spooky house in the town of Nod's Limbs (their parents are on an extended around-the-world holiday), the bug-eyed, matted-haired, disturbingly pale siblings amuse themselves by plotting dreadful schemes to torture the townspeople. Inspired by a TV show about the value of exotic animals, they decide to steal all the local pets, decorate them with old Christmas ornaments (Grinchy enough for ye?), and sell them at market price. If they became very rich from the proceeds, they could spray the soccer fields with fizzy cola from a hang glider, or erect a giant windmill to blow manure all over town, or buy a whole carnival and not let anyone else enjoy the games and rides! As they skulk around Nod's Limbs with giant sacks, they find it surprisingly easy to snatch puppies, kittens, bunnies, hamsters, and even a Burmese python. Let the basement transformation to Uggprons and Snifflepops begin! They lull themselves to sleep that night with the sound of weeping children mourning the loss of their beloved pets, "a steady, groaning noise rising up from the world outside." It seems that fans of the comic-goth genre (Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events and Holly Black's Spiderwick Chronicles) have another series in which to wallow, this time where the child protagonists are not victims but predators. Rick Carton's funny, artful pen-and-ink illustrations perfectly capture the Addams family feel of the story, from the pleading eyes of the neighborhood pets in the darkness of the "exotic animal emporium" cart to the tiny Turkle boys crawling through sewer pipes in the desperate search for their pet. (Ages 8 and older) --Karin Snelson

About the Author:

Charles Ogden is an avid camper and fisherman. He collects insects and has traveled in pursuit of various specimens to the North Pole, the Souh Pole, and Poland. Mr. Ogden and his insect collection make their home in a cool, dry, preservation-friendly environment, far removed from prying eyes.

About this edition

• Publisher: Tricycle Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1582461104
• ISBN 13: 9781582461106
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 120
• Illustrator: Rick Carton