by Joseph Coelho (Author)
UK Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho presents twenty tiny tales--each one illustrated by a different artist, and each just ten words long--in a book that's as much a work of art as an invitation to budding writers.
"Invite me in," she says, outside my tenth-story window.
Is it possible to spin a tale using just ten words? In this magnificent compendium, author and poet Joseph Coelho proves that it is--with mini-stories of underwater worlds, demon hamsters, bears in outer space, and portals to places unknown. From charming to creepy, fantastical to mysterious, each tale is paired with an outstanding illustrator, and together words and pictures inspire creativity as young readers are prompted to continue the story. Prefaced with a note from the author and offering two writing challenges at the end, this is an ideal gift for anyone ready to unleash their imagination.
With artwork from:
Alex T. Smith * Camilla Sucre * Chuck Groenink * Daishu Ma * Dapo Adeola * Dena Seiferling * Flavia Z. Drago * Freya Hartas * Helen Stephens * Julia Sarda * Katie May Green * Karl James Mountford * Maja Kastelic * Mariachiara Di Giorgio * Nahid Kazemi * Raissa Figueroa * Reggie Brown * Shaun Tan * Thea Lu * Yas Imamura * Yoko Tanaka
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Laughter, puzzlement, shivers--10-word morsels from U.K. children's laureate Coelho, each illustrated by contemporary artists including Raissa Figueroa, Júlia Sardà, and Shaun Tan, evoke a startling panoply of thoughts and feelings. In a collaborate work that recalls The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, some brief stories make dark jokes or suggest grim outcomes ("The Venus flytrap keeps edging closer/ to Grandma's favorite chair"), while others deliver shots of straight horror ("The thing that slumps/ from the egg has my eyes") or hint at adventure ("The bear turns the ignition/ on the snowmobile./ It works!"). Various artist contributors take different tacks in visualizing the lines, many developing the concepts. Alongside "My splintered oars are lost/ as my boat speeds onward," Alex T. Smith imagines three brown-skinned human figures in a pink-hued galaxy, pursued by a shark-shaped steampunk battleship threatening to swallow them all. Thea Lu, meanwhile, adds a sinister seasonality to the pale-skinned figure attending "the X-rays reveal/ writing etched onto/ all of my bones." Front and back matter detail the book's beginnings and suggest using the tales as writing prompts, inviting readers to expand, create, and let their pens and imaginations soar. Ages 7-10. (Sept.)
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