The Purple Kangaroo - Hardcover

Black, Michael Ian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1416957715 ISBN 13: 9781416957713

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2009

Synopsis

The monkey narrator in this humorous picture book gaurantees that he can READ YOUR MIND. What begins as a simple request to imagine the most spectacular thing in history turns into the story of a roller-skating, bubble-blowing purple kangaroo searching for his dear friend Ernesto on the moon. So by the time you finish this book, there's no chance you will be thinking of anything BUT the purple kangaroo.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Ian Black is a writer, comedian, and actor who currently appears on Another Period, The Jim Gaffigan Show, and Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. He created and starred in many television series, including Michael and Michael Have Issues, Stella, and The State. He wrote the screenplay for the film Run, Fatboy, Run and wrote and directed the film Wedding Daze. Michael regularly tours the country as a stand-up comedian and is the bestselling author of the book My Custom Van (and 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face), the memoir You’re Not Doing It Right, and the children’s books Chicken Cheeks, The Purple Kangaroo, A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea, I’m Bored, Naked!, and Cock-a-Doodle-Doo-Bop. Michael lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children.

Peter Brown is the author of Children Make Terrible Pets and the critically acclaimed artist of Chowder and Flight of the Dodo. He is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasedena, California. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit Peter at PeterBrownStudio.com.

From Booklist

The author of Chicken Cheeks (2009) offers here an in-your-face, metafictive text reminiscent of the works of Mo Willems (Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, 2003) and Melanie Watt (Have I Got a Book for You!, 2009). A monkey, claiming to read minds, proceeds to describe a roller-skating, banana-juggling, hula-hooping, bubble-gum-nose-blowing purple kangaroo that ends up on the moon searching for his wild-eyed chinchilla friend. At the end, faced with the reality that the reader is not imagining said character, Monkey retorts, “You’re thinking of one now!!!” Peter Brown’s digitally tweaked acrylic-and-pencil artwork makes use of many comic-book techniques, including cartoon-styled figures, speech and thought bubbles, and iconic lines to convey information. One close-up, for example, depicts the monkey’s face, his pupils connected to spiraling purple lines representing an attempt to hypnotize the reader. While Black’s comedic style may not appeal to every adult reader, the sheer silliness of these characters and situations is sure to be a hit with its intended listeners. Preschool-Grade 2. --Kay Weisman

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1416957715
• ISBN 13: 9781416957713
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Brown Peter