The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine

The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine

New York Times Bestseller!
AÂ School Library JournalÂ Best Book of 2017

A never-before-published, previously unfinished Mark Twain childrenâ€™s story is brought to life by Philip and Erin Stead, creators ofÂ the Caldecott Medal-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee.
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In a hotel in Paris one evening in 1879, Mark Twain sat with his young daughters, who begged their father for a story. Twain began telling them the tale of Johnny, a poor boy in possession of some magical seeds. Later, Twain would jot down some rough notes about the story, but the tale was left unfinished . . . until now.
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Plucked from the Mark Twain archive at the University of California at Berkeley, Twainâ€™s notes now form the foundation of a fairy tale picked up over a century later. With only Twainâ€™s fragmentary script and a story that stops partway as his guide, author Philip Stead has written a tale that imagines what might have been if Twain had fully realized this work.
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Johnny, forlorn and alone except for his pet chicken, meets a kind woman who gives him seeds that change his fortune, allowing him to speak with animals and sending him on a quest to rescue a stolen prince. In the face of a bullying tyrant king, Johnny and his animal friends come to understand thatÂ generosity, empathy, and quiet courage are gifts more precious in this world than power and gold.
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Illuminated by Erin Steadâ€™s graceful, humorous, and achingly poignant artwork, this is a story that reaches through time and brings us a new book from Americaâ€™s most legendary writer, envisioned by two of todayâ€™s most important names in childrenâ€™s literature.

AÂ Bank Street College of EducationÂ 2018Â Best Children's Book of the Year

"will capture the imaginations of readers of all ages"â€”USA Today,Â â˜…Â â˜…Â â˜…Â â˜… (out of four stars)Â

â˜…Â "Samuel Langhorne Clemens himself would be proud."â€”Booklist,Â starred review

â˜…Â "a cast of eccentric characters, celestially fine writing, and a crusade against pomp that doesn't sacrifice humor."â€”Publishers Weekly,Â starred review

â˜…Â "Completing a story penned by arguably America's greatest author is no easy feat, but the Caldecott-winning author-illustrator (and husband-wife) team proves more than equal to the task. . . .Â A pensive and whimsical work that Twain would applaud."â€”Kirkus,Â starred review

â˜…Â "The combination of Twainâ€™s (often sarcastic) humor and â€œlessons of life,â€ a touch of allegory, and Steadâ€™s own storytelling skills result in an awesome piece of fantasy."â€”School Library Journal,Â starred review

â˜…Â "Beautifully understated and nuanced illustrations by Erin Stead add the finishing flourishes to this remarkable work."â€”Shelf Awareness,Â starred review

â€œdrawn with a graceful crosshatched intelligence that seems close to the best of Wyeth.â€â€”Adam Gopnik,Â The New York Times

"Twain and the two Steads have created whatÂ could become a read-aloud classic, perfect for families to enjoy together."â€”The Horn Book

"artful and meta and elegantâ€â€”The Wall Street Journal

"should inspire readers young and old to seek further adventures with Twain."â€”The Washington Post

Country	USA
Brand	Doubleday Books for Young Readers
Manufacturer	Doubleday Books for Young Readers
Binding	Hardcover
ItemPartNumber	980062966
Color	White
ReleaseDate	2017-09-26
UnitCount	1
Format	Picture Book
EANs	9780553523225

The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine

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