Punch in New York - Hardcover

Provensen, Alice; Provensen, Martin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670827908 ISBN 13: 9780670827909

Publisher: Viking Juvenile, 1991

Synopsis

After Punch is abducted and taken to New York City, he needs all his ingenuity to save himself

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews:

Arriving in New York with his traditional puppets, Professore Tucci-Piccini is robbed of the suitcase containing Punch. The disgusted thief tosses Punch from a skyscraper window, setting him free to pursue his knavery throughout the city: he whacks a man who squeezes into his bus-stop seat, then allies himself with muggers and helps them hijack a limousine by causing a diversion (he sprays a ``naughty word''--''Stupid''--on it). Charmed by Punch's driving (over the rooftops), the oblivious owner, ``Mr. Helmstrump,'' hires him as a chauffeur--a post that Punch fills until he happens on the other puppets, performing in Central Park. Provensen's airy, carefully structured illustrations are a loving tribute to the city (whose reputation sometimes seems almost as notorious as the classic bad-guy puppet's); her irrepressible Punch goes through his paces with appropriately wicked glee. It's an inspired pairing, resulting in an unusual, highly entertaining book with many intriguing details to explore. A sensible ``Note on Punch'' explains that he ``doesn't motivate us to do evil deeds [but] provides us with a harmless outlet for our guilty thoughts.'' (Picture book. 4+) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From Publishers Weekly:

In Provensen's talented hands, the unlovable Punch is skillfully resurrected for a generation perhaps unfamiliar with his dastardly deeds. Brought to New York City in the suitcase of Il Professore Tucci-Piccini, Punch is immediately stolen by a thief hoping to snatch a valise full of money. The worthless bag is soon discarded, and Mr. Punch finds himself alone on the streets of the Big Apple. True to form, the conniving marionette outsmarts policemen, muggers and a chauffeur to land himself a job with "the Richest Man in the World" before reuniting with Judy, the Baby, the Hangman and the others. The jaunty text brims with mischief and Provensen's distinctively detailed illustrations are rendered in the bright, buoyant colors of puppetry. Her Manhattan is a suitably kinetic metropolis of limos, hot dog stands and countless skyscrapers, many of which bear the au courant designation Helmstrump. Happily, Provensen's Punch is not nearly as nasty as the character she describes in her "Note on Punch" at the end; here, he seems no more harmful than a cartoon villain. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Viking Juvenile
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0670827908
• ISBN 13: 9780670827909
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1