Benjamin's Treasure - Hardcover

Garth Williams

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060287403 ISBN 13: 9780060287405

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2001

Synopsis

Benjamin Pink lived with his wife, Emily, in a little white house on Clover Hill. One bright sky-blue morning Benjamin looked at the smooth green sea and said, "A perfect day for fishing!" But the only thing Benjamin catches this day is a rainstorm that strands him on a deserted island with a chest full of treasure. What's a rabbit to do when he has no way of getting back home? Well, if you're Benjamin Pink, you're sure to think of something!

Rosemary Wells has adapted an episode from the 1951 novel The Adventures of Benjamin Pink and lovingly added color to the original black-and-white illustrations for a glorious picture-book version of this beloved Garth Williams classic.

About this title

Review:

One beautiful morning, Benjamin Pink packs a basket full of lettuce and radish sandwiches, waves good-bye to his wife, Emily, and sets off for a day of fishing. Unfortunately, not only are the fish not biting, but this happy rabbit is about to encounter a major storm. Washed ashore on a desert island, Ben starts making a shelter while awaiting rescue. To his great surprise, he discovers buried treasure, and now, in addition to getting himself home, he needs to find a way to transport the treasure chest. With high hopes of becoming the hero of his hometown ("presents for everyone on Clover Hill... free lettuce for the needy"), Ben disregards the advice of a turtle he meets to ditch the treasure ("You will worry about it day and night. Your friends will become jealous and you will suspect everyone"). But can he have his bejeweled cake and eat it too?

Adapted from Garth Williams's 1951 novel, The Adventures of Benjamin Pink, this delightful picture book was a labor of love for illustrator Rosemary Wells (of Max board books fame), who also added color to the original black-and-white illustrations. She carefully colored each drawing using the exact paints available to Williams in the '50s, in a palette chosen from his color work in other books. A splendid way to revive a classic! (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

About the Author:

Garth Williams is the renowned illustrator of almost one hundred books for children, including the beloved Stuart Little by E. B. White, Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban, and the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

He was born in 1912 in New York City but raised in England. He founded an art school near London and served with the British Red Cross Civilian Defense during World War II. Williams worked as a portrait sculptor, art director, and magazine artist before doing his first book Stuart Little, thus beginning a long and lustrous career illustrating some of the best known children's books.

In addition to illustrating works by White and Wilder, he also illustrated George Selden’s The Cricket in Times Square and its sequels (Farrar Straus Giroux). He created the character and pictures for the first book in the Frances series by Russell Hoban (HarperCollins) and the first books in the Miss Bianca series by Margery Sharp (Little, Brown). He collaborated with Margaret Wise Brown on her Little Golden Books titles Home for a Bunny and Little Fur Family, among others, and with Jack Prelutsky on two poetry collections published by Greenwillow: Ride a Purple Pelican and Beneath a Blue Umbrella. He also wrote and illustrated seven books on his own, including Baby Farm Animals (Little Golden Books) and The Rabbits’ Wedding (HarperCollins).

Garth Williams is the renowned illustrator of almost one hundred books for children, including the beloved Stuart Little by E. B. White, Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban, and the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

He was born in 1912 in New York City but raised in England. He founded an art school near London and served with the British Red Cross Civilian Defense during World War II. Williams worked as a portrait sculptor, art director, and magazine artist before doing his first book Stuart Little, thus beginning a long and lustrous career illustrating some of the best known children's books.

In addition to illustrating works by White and Wilder, he also illustrated George Selden’s The Cricket in Times Square and its sequels (Farrar Straus Giroux). He created the character and pictures for the first book in the Frances series by Russell Hoban (HarperCollins) and the first books in the Miss Bianca series by Margery Sharp (Little, Brown). He collaborated with Margaret Wise Brown on her Little Golden Books titles Home for a Bunny and Little Fur Family, among others, and with Jack Prelutsky on two poetry collections published by Greenwillow: Ride a Purple Pelican and Beneath a Blue Umbrella. He also wrote and illustrated seven books on his own, including Baby Farm Animals (Little Golden Books) and The Rabbits’ Wedding (HarperCollins).

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0060287403
• ISBN 13: 9780060287405
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Rosemary Wells