Trupp: A Fuzzhead Tale - Hardcover

Cannon, Janell

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152001301 ISBN 13: 9780152001308

Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books, 1995

Synopsis

Trupp, a young Fuzzhead, decides to venture into the world. With a cheeky raven for a companion, Trupp rambles through the city, going virtually unnoticed by humans--that is, until they are confronted by a homeless woman who sees Trupp for who he really is. Before Trupp can decide whether to stay or run away, this unusual woman realizes that he could use a little help. “Fans of Stellaluna, Cannon’s exceptional debut book, will approach her second with high expectations--and those will be met.”--Publishers Weekly

About this title

About the Author

Janell Cannon's picture books have won many awards and are beloved around the world. She is the author and illustrator of Verdi, Crickwing, Pinduli, and the long-time bestselling classic Stellaluna. Born and raised in Minnesota, Ms. Cannon now lives in Southern California.

Reviews

Fans of Stellaluna, Cannon's exceptional debut book, will approach her second with high expectations-and those will be met. Carefully crafted prose and stunning art shape a story that delicately spans the fictional and real, at the same time delivering a message worthy of reflection. Curious about what lies beyond his Family Cave, Trupp, a cat-like creature with snow-white fur and ice-blue eyes, walks for days until he approaches "people-dwellings." The peace-loving Fuzzhead borrows clothing from a scarecrow so humans won't notice his odd appearance and, accompanied by a raven, heads for a city. No one on the bustling streets pays any attention to Trupp until he meets a homeless woman named Bernice, who removes a piece of broken glass from his foot and takes him to a safer part of town. Equally affecting as her text, Cannon's poignantly detailed acrylic and pencil art underscores the contrasts between Trupp's primitive homeland and the gritty, graffiti-scarred city; and between his ethereal presence and the eccentric, gaudy appearance of Bernice, who keeps half a dozen toothbrushes tucked into her woolen cap. As the new friends settle down to sleep in the park, Bernice's wise words expose the heart of the story: "Funny, isn't it? I wear all this bright stuff to keep from feeling invisible. When people stare at me, it helps me know I'm here. But Trupp puts on clothes so he will disappear." Cannon says so much so simply. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 5^-7. From the author of Stellaluna (1993) comes the tale of Trupp, a young fuzzhead, a white-furred creature resembling a cat. Determined to see the world, he leaves his family's cave in the cliffs and makes his way to the city. There he befriends Bernice, a homeless woman who understands him, helps him, and sends him on his way home. Young children may be disturbed by the scene in which Bernice and Trupp are attacked by a man who then flees when Trupp reveals himself as a talking animal and threatens the man with his claws. Deft and accomplished, the artwork includes soft-edge acrylic-and-pencil paintings in full color that fill the pages as well as small black-and-white drawings that decorate the text. The story, though, rambles rather aimlessly and mixes fantasy and realism in a vaguely disquieting way. One picture of Trupp wearing clothing and walking along a city street echoes a Garth Williams illustration in Margaret Wise Brown's Three Little Animals, a more satisfying picture book in which wild things come to the city. Readers who adore Cannon's first book may want to see this one, but Trupp is no Stellaluna. Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0152001301
• ISBN 13: 9780152001308
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 48