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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33607003454546 | Picture Books | EGGERS | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
In this clever picture book from Newbery-Award winning author Dave Eggers ( The Eyes & the Impossible ), Abner and Ian are stuck sideways! This interactive story is perfect for fans of Elephant & Piggie and Press Here .
Abner and Ian are stuck sideways on the pages of their debut picture book. They can't start the story like this! Ian is trying to be brave, despite his dizziness and fear of heights. But don't worry, because Abner has a plan: Readers will shake and turn the book until they get right side up! Sounds easy, right? Think again, because the real solution may be the opposite of what you'd expect.
With the odd couple wit of Elephant & Piggie, the interactive appeal of Press Here , and a timeless charm all their own, Abner & Ian offer readers of all ages eighty pages of fast-paced fun with a surprising and rewarding twist.
Author Notes
Dave Eggers was born on March 12th, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts. His family moved to Lake Forest, Illinois when he was a child. Eggers attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, until his parents' deaths in 1991 and 1992. The loss left him responsible for his eight-year-old brother and later became the inspiration for his highly acclaimed memoir "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius". Published in 2000, the memoir was nominated for a nonfiction Pulitzer the following year.
Eggers edits the popular "The Best American Nonrequired Reading" published annually. In 1998, he founded the independent publishing house, McSweeney's which publishes a variety of magazines and literary journals. Eggers has also opened several nonprofit writing centers for high school students across the United States.
Eggers has written several novels and his title, A Hologram for the King, was a finalist for the 2012 National Book Award. His most recent work of fiction, entitled The Circle, was published in 2013. His recent nonfiction books are The Monk of Mokha (January 2018) and What Can a Citizen Do? (Illustrated by Shawn Harris)(September 2018).
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-In this silly interactive book, a duck and a prairie dog find themselves sideways on the page instead of on the ground. They start up a dialogue about their predicament and ask readers for a helping hand. After requesting assistance, they awkwardly draw things out to build up anticipation, but from there on, the pacing, silliness, and intensity quickly ramps up, for with each shake of the page, their positioning only gets wackier. Upside down, popping out of the seam, half on one page and half on the other, no matter how hard readers work, they can't seem to right themselves. Finally they decide to try something different. For the most part, Eggers's writing takes center stage, and while the text on individual pages is usually brief, it goes on for 80 pages, which is quite a bit longer than the average picture book. Because of the nature of the plot, Park's illustrations don't change much. However, the old-fashioned designs and muted colors pair well with the candid tone; it is this contrast between the aesthetics and the premise that causes so much amusement. Overall, the creators have come up with a child-friendly way to talk about disruption and calm. VERDICT Even though this picture book is quite lengthy compared to others like it, the amusing, interactive story makes it worth the buy.-Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont. © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In the style of HervAc Tullet-like interactive volumes, Eggers (What Can a Citizen Do?) starts with two characters who defy gravity, sticking out from the left and right sides of a spread as if mounted there. "We're supposed to be down there," grumbles Abner the duck. Ian the groundhog worries. "Did you have any ideas? Usually you have such good ideas." Abner calls for help ("Hey, kid! We need a hand") and asks the reader to shake the book: "Trust me. This is how it's done." Oops! Now Abner and Ian are hanging from the top of the page like bats. Requests for more shaking trap the two in the book's gutter, then their bottom and top halves part ways. Despite its single-note gimmick and some insider humor ("I have a brie allergy. And recurrent eczema," Ian tells Abner), the book is likely to please. Tasked with illustrating this all-dialogue tale, the gifted Park (the I Funny series) creates two instantly endearing characters whose expressions, as the two ponder, hold forth, and defend their positions from their idiotic perches, are funny and sympathetic. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 4-8. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.