Impossible Creatures SIGNED FIRST EDITION W/ SPRAYED EDGES AND THE GUARDIAN'S BESTIARY CREATURE CARDS

Rundell, Katherine; Mackenzie, Ashley (Art)

ISBN 10: 0593809866 / ISBN 13: 9780593809860

Published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2024

About this Item

First First American Edition, 1st Printing. Hardcover. Signed by Katherine Rundell in ink at front endpaper. First American Edition with full number line indicating First Printing. 8 3/4" X 6 1/4". 358pp. Very mild shelf wear to covers, corners, and edges of unclipped dust jacket. Bound in red cloth over boards with spine lettered in gilt and gilt dragon to front cover. Decorative red sprayed edges. Pages are clean and unmarked. Binding is square and sound. Includes a set of 5 creature trading cards with mini-descriptions of the featured creature. ABOUT THIS BOOK: It was a very fine day, until something tried to eat him. A boy called Christopher is visiting his reclusive grandfather when he witnesses an avalanche of mythical creatures come tearing down the hill. This is how Christopher learns that his grandfather is the guardian of one of the ways between the non-magical world and a place called the Archipelago, a cluster of magical islands where all the creatures we tell of in myth live and breed and thrive alongside humans. They have been protected from being discovered for thousands of years; now, terrifyingly, the protection has worn thin, and creatures are breaking through. Then a girl, Mal, appears in Christopher s world. She is in possession of a flying coat, is being pursued by a killer and is herself in pursuit of a baby griffin. Mal, Christopher and the griffin embark on an urgent quest across the wild splendour of the Archipelago, where sphinxes hold secrets and centaurs do murder, to find the truth with unimaginable consequences for both their worlds. Together the two must face the problem of power, and of knowledge, and of what love demands of us.(Publisher). First First American Edition, 1st Printing. Seller Inventory # 16221

Bibliographic Details

Title: Impossible Creatures SIGNED FIRST EDITION W/...

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, New York

Publication Date: 2024

Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: Mackenzie, Ashley

Condition: Very good +

Dust Jacket Condition: Very good +

Signed: Signed by Author(s)

Edition: 1st Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two kids race to save the world’s last magical place in the first book of a landmark new fantasy series, from “a writer with an utterly distinctive voice and a wild imagination.” (Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass)

*This spectacular book features foil and embossing on the jacket, full-color designed endpapers, red stained edges, and a red case cover with gold stamping.*

“An instant classic from one of the most gifted storytellers of our time, Impossible Creatures is an astonishing miracle of a book.” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal Winner for The One and Only Ivan

A WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR • A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, KIRKUS REVIEWS, AND SHELF AWARENESS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

The day that Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever.

It’s the day he learned about the Archipelago—a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years, until now. And it’s the day he met Mal—a girl on the run, in desperate need of his help.

Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what’s happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.

Katherine Rundell’s story crackles and roars with energy and delight. It is brought vividly to life with more than 60 illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures.

About the Author:

KATHERINE RUNDELL is the author of Rooftoppers (an ALA-ALSC Notable Book, winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize), Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms (a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner), The Wolf Wilder, The Explorer (winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award), and The Good Thieves. She grew up in Zimbabwe, Brussels, and London, and is currently a Fellow of St. Catherine’s College, Oxford. Her books for adults include Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne (winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize) and Why You Should Read Children’s Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise.
 
ASHLEY MACKENZIE is a Canadian artist and illustrator with a special affinity for dragons, dryads, and all magical creatures.