In 1996 this book won the International Bologna Ragazzi Award and a Smarties Book Prize, and was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal.
Quentin Blake has been drawing ever since he can remember. He taught illustration for over twenty years at the Royal College of Art, of which he is an honorary professor. He has won many prizes, including the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, the Eleanor Farjeon Award and the Kate Greenaway Medal, and in 1999 he was appointed the first Children's Laureate. In the 2013 New Year's Honours List he was knighted for services to illustration.
A delightful story of the frantic antics of a toy clown who finds
himself thrown head-first into a dustbin with an assortment of
other discarded toys
*Observer*
K-Gr 4‘Unceremoniously tossed in a trash bin with other toys, Clown escapes and attempts to enlist help in rescuing his discarded friends. He gains the sympathy of two little girls and the attention of one dog, but interfering adults thwart his efforts at every turn. Finally landing in the drab apartment in which a girl is baby-sitting her little brother, Clown not only gains his objective but also helps make a happy home for all (humans included). Blake's whimsical watercolor-and-ink illustrations are particularly well suited to this wordless tale presented in cartoon style. His spare but expressive lines effectively capture the hero's pluck, the cruel disdain of adults, and the dreariness of the urban apartment. Large drawings in frames combined with smaller, unframed sketches vary the tempo and pace and further dramatize moments of bold action. While accessible to young viewers, a certain level of visual sophistication is required to truly appreciate the nuances of the plot. For example, the relationship between daughter and mother remains unclear until the end, but this does not significantly detract from the drama. Blake succeeds admirably in presenting a multilayered and thought-provoking tale that will capture readers' imaginations.‘Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ
A delightful story of the frantic antics of a toy clown who finds himself thrown head-first into a dustbin with an assortment of other discarded toys * Observer *
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