The Man Who Wore All His Clothes - Hardcover

Ahlberg, Allan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763614327 ISBN 13: 9780763614324

Publisher: Candlewick, 2001

Synopsis

Amusing artwork captures the chaos that ensues shortly after Christmas in the Gaskitt household as Mr. Gaskitt decides to don all of the clothes he owns at one time, Mrs. Gaskitt, a taxi driver, picks up a bank robber, the Gaskitt twins get in trouble at school, and the cat goes over a friend's house to watch TV.

About this title

About the Author:

Allan Ahlberg is one of the most acclaimed and successful authors of children's books. He lives in Bath. Katharine McEwen studied illustration at Kingston University. She is now the illustrator of many children's picture books with her instantly recognizable and appealing style.

From Publishers Weekly:

An appealingly madcap plot, dialogue that verges on slapstick and sprightly pictures keep this early chapter book rolling along at a snappy clip. Ahlberg (The Snail House) introduces Mr. and Mrs. Gaskitt and their nine-year-old twins, Gus and Gloria. One December morning, Mr. Gaskitt gets dressed, donning multiple layers of clothing: "He put on his tee shirt and underwear and socks, and his socks and tee shirt and underwear, and his underwear and socks and tee shirt." While he drives off in his car to an undisclosed location, Mrs. Gaskitt zooms off in her taxi to pick up a passenger whom kids will immediately recognize as a bank robber. The culprit eventually flees the taxi and boards a school bus carrying Gus and Gloria and their classmates, precipitating a farcical chase scene involving the bus, both Gaskitt parents' vehicles, a police car and the van of a camera-toting news reporter. Ahlberg adds to the mayhem with some absurd asides: the radio in Mr. Gaskitt's car bungles the news reports and the twins' teacher barks such instructions as "Fingers on lips! Elbows on knees!" McEwen's (Cows in the Kitchen) watercolor and crayon art comically captures the lighthearted tone of the tale, topped off by the revelation of the well-padded pater's profession: playing Santa. This is good silly fun. Ages 7-9.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0763614327
• ISBN 13: 9780763614324
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 80
• Illustrator: McEwen Katharine