One Dark and Dreadful Night - Hardcover

Cecil, Randy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805067795 ISBN 13: 9780805067798

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2004

Synopsis

Good evening, and welcome to the Wayward Orphans Theatre. I am Maestro Von Haughty. Tonight I am proud to present three tales of terror and misfortune...

A laugh-out-loud theatrical production that
puts Broadway to shame!

Maestro Von Haughty directs a theater company that performs gloomy works of tragedy-or they're supposed to. Unfortunately for the Maestro, his actors are a group of ragtag orphans that would much rather be in a happy play with butterflies and kittens (and perhaps a fairy as well).

When the spirited orphans take over the stage, the worst kind of mayhem ensues, and even the stern Maestro can't stop them from turning his dark and dreadful masterpiece into a hilarious romp in the Wild West!

About this title

About the Author

Randy Cecil has illustrated a number of highly praised books for children, including Dusty Locks and the Three Bears, Little Red Cowboy Hat, and The Ugly Princes and the Wise Fool, which won the Christopher Medal. He lives in Houston, Texas.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 3–"Little Red Riding Hood," "Jack and the Beanstalk," and "Hansel and Gretel" are fractured here via the over-the-top telling and the interpretations of an appealing cast of kids. Maestro Von Haughty of the Wayward Orphans Theatre introduces the three tragic tales to be performed on stage by a group of independent-minded children. The first is "A Wolf in the Woods of Woe," the sorrowful saga of Lilly Riley-Hood. The child playing Lilly refuses to be eaten by the ferocious wolf, instead making butterflies and princesses appear on stage, forcing the Maestro to move on to "The Beans of Doom" with similar and equally funny results. The young actors then alter "Lost in Foggy Forest." The final scene shows a frustrated Maestro but very satisfied players who will "all live happily ever after!" Their asides help establish their spirited personalities and add to the visual humor on the stage. The droll color illustrations in this imaginative picture book are reminiscent of early melodramas. Maestro Von Haughty appears to be slightly villainous, the perfect foil for the child actors who are clearly in charge of the action. Though parodies of folktales abound, this take is both fresh and funny in text and art.–Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia Public Library
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Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805067795
• ISBN 13: 9780805067798
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32