Buddy - Hardcover

Joyce, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060276606 ISBN 13: 9780060276607

Publisher: HarperColl, 1997

Synopsis

‘If you happened to be walking down the street in New York City in the 1930s you might have seen a most amazing sight; a beautiful woman with a very well-dressed, four-hundred-pound gorilla sporting a red carnation in the lapel of his jacket. The lady’s name? Gertie Lintz. And the gorilla’s name was Buddy.

But how does a gorilla come all the way from Africa to the streets of New York wearing a suit and tie and a red flower in his lapel? Well, here’s the story.’

High-spirited, heartbreaking, and ultimately joyous, Buddy is a classic in the making, told with the joie de vivre one now comes to expect from the ever versatile William Joyce.

About this title

About the Author

William Joyce lives in Shreveport, Louisiana, with his lovely wife, Elizabeth, and their children, Mary Katherine and Jack. They also have a dachshund named Rose and something else named Rex. Mr. Joyce has produced two animated television shows based on his books: Rolie Polie Olie and George Shrinks. He also produced and designed the animated feature film Robots. Every once in a while he does a cover for The New Yorker. His alarmingly optimistic picture books include Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo, Santa Calls, The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, and Bently & Egg.He is currently futzing around on several books and stories that embrace the alleged healing power of heroically scaled silliness.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-4?The suits and ties he wears, the dinners he eats at a formal table, and his shopping expedition to Bergdorf's would not be at all unusual for a human, but Buddy is a gorilla. Raised from infancy by wealthy and eccentric Gertrude Lintz, he is treated as any human companion might be. He grows from an adorable toddler to a rascally adolescent; but as he matures, Gertie begins to worry and, during a trip to the 1933 World's Fair, her fears are confirmed. Sumptuous as his accommodations are, Buddy is unused to close quarters. He becomes unhappy and makes a desperate dash for freedom and the African Safari ride. Back in New York, Buddy's emerging wildness forces Gertie to make a difficult decision?but her kind heart and clever thinking find the perfect environment for Buddy and a happy ending for them all at the Philadelphia Zoo. Based on a true story, this brief chapter book first introduces the exuberant era, then dramatically sets the stage for Buddy's arrival in America, and propels readers into the fascinating Lintz household. Youngsters will empathize with Gertie, who must wistfully temper her childlike enthusiasm when faced with reality. Joyce's sepia-toned drawings are liberally sprinkled throughout the text in a family-album style and serve as visual vignettes of the period. An afterword provides additional information about the real Mrs. Lintz and Buddy; flap copy notes the recently released feature film of the same name. A captivating adventure story.?Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperColl
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0060276606
• ISBN 13: 9780060276607
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 47
• Illustrator: Joyce William