New York Times Bestseller!
Aย School Library Journalย Best Book of the Year
A never-before-published, previously unfinished Mark Twain childrenโs story is brought to life by Philip and Erin Stead, creators ofย 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, Twainโs notes now form the foundation of a fairy tale picked up over a century later. With only Twainโs 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 thatย generosity, empathy, and quiet courage are gifts more precious in this world than power and gold.
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Illuminated by Erin Steadโs graceful, humorous, and achingly poignant artwork, this is a story that reaches through time and brings us a new book from Americaโs most legendary writer, envisioned by two of todayโs most important names in childrenโs literature.
Aย Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year
"Will capture the imaginations of readers of all ages"โUSA Today,ย โ
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(out of four stars)ย
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ย "Samuel Langhorne Clemens himself would be proud."โBooklist,ย starred review
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ย "A cast of eccentric characters, celestially fine writing, and a crusade against pomp that doesn't sacrifice humor."โPublishers Weekly,ย starred review
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ย "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. . . .ย A pensive and whimsical work that Twain would applaud."โKirkus,ย starred review
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ย "The combination of Twainโs (often sarcastic) humor and โlessons of life,โ a touch of allegory, and Steadโs own storytelling skills result in an awesome piece of fantasy."โSchool Library Journal,ย starred review
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ย "Beautifully understated and nuanced illustrations by Erin Stead add the finishing flourishes to this remarkable work."โShelf Awareness,ย starred review
โdrawn with a graceful crosshatched intelligence that seems close to the best of Wyeth.โโAdam Gopnik,ย The New York Times
"Twain and the two Steads have created whatย could become a read-aloud classic, perfect for families to enjoy together."โThe Horn Book
"Artful and meta and elegantโโThe Wall Street Journal
"Should inspire readers young and old to seek further adventures with Twain."โThe Washington Post