The Emperor of Absurdia - Hardcover

Riddell, Chris

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0061449296 ISBN 13: 9780061449291

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009

Synopsis

What kind of world is it where children are in charge and fishes swim the skies?

Where dinner comes before lunch, but then lunch hatches and runs off to fetch its—uh-oh—big, bad mama?

But that's nothing compared to what the Emperor discovers when he wakes up the next morning!

From a two-time winner of the most prestigious picture-book award in Britain comes an adventure in which the extraordinary is ordinary and nothing is ever quite what it seems.

About this title

About the Author

Chris Riddell is an acclaimed British artist who lives in Brighton, England. He has written and illustrated many books of his own, including Ottoline and the Yellow Cat and Ottoline Goes to School, and has illustrated, for Bloomsbury UK, The Graveyard Book; Coraline; and Fortunately, the Milk; as well as The Sleeper and the Spindle.

From the Back Cover

What kind of world is it where children are in charge and fishes swim the skies?

Where dinner comes before lunch, but then lunch hatches and runs off to fetch its—uh-oh—big, bad mama?

But that's nothing compared to what the Emperor discovers when he wakes up the next morning!

From a two-time winner of the most prestigious picture-book award in Britain comes an adventure in which the extraordinary is ordinary and nothing is ever quite what it seems.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 1—In this humorous and foolish story, a boy has a dream that carries him throughout the land looking up pointy trees for his snuggly scarf and into a cave for a dragon. When he awakens, readers can observe in his bedroom the different elements that appeared in various forms within his weird dream. Riddell's imaginative illustrations outshine the odd story line. Children will pore over the scales of the dragon, the flower-pod bed, and the droll blue sky fish. The pointy bird with his "pointy-sounding squawk" appears to be, grotesquely, all head and no body. Seuss-like in appearance, the exaggerated length of Wardrobe Monster's blue arms hold the boy emperor safe when he is dropped from the sky. Comparing the landscape from the front to the rear endpapers is another visual delight. This is an additional selection for those youngsters who love searching illustrations for minute details.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
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In this dreamy, sumptuous, highly charged fantasy, the Emperor, a blond-haired, blue-eyed, chubby toddler, starts his day by tumbling out of bed among the umbrella trees and landing in the arms of the cuddly Wardrobe Monster. After getting dressed, which involves a trip to find his “snuggly” scarf, the Emperor is served three meals in rapid succession. One of the meals is an egg that hatches a baby dragon. When the dragon flies away, the Emperor follows, and his quest takes on the scope and rhythm of a classic going-on-a-bear-hunt tale. The Emperor tiptoes into a cave only to exit with a large dragon in hot pursuit, causing the Emperor to retrace his steps and finally tumble back into the arms of the cushy Wardrobe Monster. This is wonderful storytelling with intricate, pleasing illustrations rendered in a classical style. The book would be suitable for sharing one-on-one or with small groups. The illustrations are too complex for larger groups; however, the text could stand on its own in the hands of a gifted storyteller. Preschool-Grade 2. --Randall Enos

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0061449296
• ISBN 13: 9780061449291
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Riddell Chris
• Number of pages: 32