The Beast of Monsieur Racine - Hardcover

Ungerer, Tomi

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0714860816 ISBN 13: 9780714860817

Publisher: Phaidon Press, 2014

Synopsis

Monsieur Racine wakes up one day to find his precious pear tree looted of all the award‐winning fruit. When he discovers that the culprit is a funny‐looking beast, his anger gives way to curiosity and two become friends. But the beast is not quite what it seems, eventually it comes apart–literally to show itself to be no beast at all, but the two playful children from next door, covered with skins and rags.

About this title

About the Author:

Born in Strasbourg, in the Alsace region of France, in 1931, Tomi Ungerer started drawing as a small boy. Growing up in Nazi‐occupied Strasbourg, drawing caricatures was for him a form of resistance. Described on his school–leaving certificate as a "depraved and rebellious character", he hitch‐hiked around Europe, getting as far as Lapland, rather than going to university. Inspired by his heroes Saul Steinberg, James Thurber and Charles Addams, Ungerer landed in New York in 1956, with only $60 dollars in his pocket and a suitcase full of drawings. He quickly found success as an illustrator and caricaturist, becoming a star almost overnight. He published his first book for children, The Mellops Go Flying, in 1957, and went on to publish 80 books over the next ten years, covering all aspects of his work.

From School Library Journal:

PreS-Gr 2—Two charmers from this inimitable picture-book artist. The first title, which was dedicated to Maurice Sendak, features a retired tax collector with a prized pear tree. When the man awakens one day to find his precious fruit has been stolen, he is determined to capture the culprit. He succeeds in catching the thief, but instead of vengeance, he is consumed with curiosity about and affection for gentle, lumpy beast. "I lost my pears but found a companion" says the old tax collector. When he takes his rare, unusual specimen to Paris to present to the Academy and a hoax is revealed, a media circus of monumental proportions ensues. This quirky story defies expectations and charms with its wit and subtle wisdom. The art is uproarious and as appealing as ever. One, Two is as playful and engaging as it is brilliantly executed, making a visual seek-and-find game of the simple rhyme. Kids will never look at shoes the same way again. Both stories were originally published in German in the early 1970s and have been out of print in the U.S. for years.

About this edition

• Publisher: Phaidon Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0714860816
• ISBN 13: 9780714860817
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32