The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine

ISBN: 0593303822

Author: Stead, Philip C.

Condition: New

New York Times Bestseller!A never-before-published, previously unfinished Mark Twain childrens story is brought to life by Philip and Erin Stead, creators of the Caldecott Medal-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee.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.Plucked from the Mark Twain archive at the University of California at Berkeley, Twains notes now form the foundation of a fairy tale picked up over a century later. With only Twains 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.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 that generosity, empathy, and quiet courage are gifts more precious in this world than power and gold.Illuminated by Erin Steads graceful, humorous, and achingly poignant artwork, this is a story that reaches through time and brings us a new book from Americas most legendary writer, envisioned by two of todays most important names in childrens literature.A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the YearA School Library Journal Best Book of the Year