The Skunk: A Picture Book - Hardcover

Barnett, Mac

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1596439661 ISBN 13: 9781596439665

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2015

Synopsis

This sly, hilarious tale, The Skunk, brings together luminaries Mac Barnett and Patrick McDonnell for the first time.

An Entertainment Weekly Best Kids' Book

When a skunk first appears in the tuxedoed man's doorway, it's a strange but possibly harmless occurrence. But then the man finds the skunk following him, and the unlikely pair embark on an increasingly frantic chase through the city, from the streets to the opera house to the fairground. What does the skunk want? It's not clear―but soon the man has bought a new house in a new neighborhood to escape the little creature's attention, only to find himself missing something...

About this title

About the Authors

Mac Barnett is a New York Times bestselling author of books for children, including Extra Yarn, which won a 2013 Caldecott Honor and the 2012 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Picture Books. He also writes the Brixton Brothers series of mystery novels. He was born in 1982 to non-farmers in a California farming community. Now he lives in Berkeley.

Patrick McDonnell has over twenty books in print, including four New York Times bestsellers and the Caldecott Honor winning Me...Jane. His comic strip, Mutts, appears in over 700 newspapers around the world and on the web.

Reviews

K-Gr 3—A man is stalked by a silent skunk in this charmingly neurotic offering. Leaving his home one day, a bespectacled, tuxedo-clad gentleman discovers a small skunk sitting on his doorstep. As the man makes his way about town, the creature remains close on his heels ("…after a mile I realized I was being followed.") He speeds up, he slows down, he takes many wild turns, but to no avail. Still the skunk remains. Barnett's text is delivered in short, clipped sentences that convey the man's annoyance and increasing paranoia. McDonnell's distinctive pen-and-ink illustrations (the little skunk bears a striking resemblance to a couple of familiar mutts) harken back to classic comic strip humor, with expressive body language, dynamic action lines, and thoughtful compositions, creating tension and drama. The majority of the book uses a limited palette of black, peach, touches of red (notably for the skunk's oversized nose and the man's posh bow-tie), and smart use of white space. The man finally outruns his striped admirer, purchasing a new house in a different part of the city. He throws himself a fancy party with dancing and dessert. But he finds himself wondering about that skunk ("What was he doing? Was he looking for me?") Roles reverse and the pursued becomes the pursuer, as the man now slinks around corners and behind trees, surreptitiously following the skunk—who, on the last page, looks anxiously over his shoulder at the man. Why did the skunk follow the man initially? Is this a tale of regret and missed opportunities, a lesson on the dangers of letting potential friends slip away? Of not knowing what you've got 'til it's gone? Barnett and McDonnell offer no explanations, but invite readers to ponder the possibilities. Here's hoping this talented duo pair up for many more picture book collaborations. VERDICT Clever visual motifs, sly storytelling, and tight pacing make this a picture book that will be enjoyed by children and their grown-ups.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal

Edition details

• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1596439661
• ISBN 13: 9781596439665
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: McDonnell Patrick
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40