The Emperor of Absurdia

by Chris Riddell

Book Overview

What kind of world is it where children are in charge and fishes swim the skies? Where dinner comes before lunch, but then lunch hatches and runs off to fetch its-- uh-oh --big, bad mama? But that's nothing compared to what the Emperor discovers when he wakes up the next morning From a two-time winner of the most prestigious picture-book award in Britain comes an adventure in which the extraordinary is ordinary and nothing is ever quite what it seems.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061449296
• ISBN13: 9780061449291
• Release Date: February 2009
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 9.0" x 11.5"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Illustrations make the story come alive!

This is a clever book aimed at the 4-5 yr old crowd - my kids just love it! Wonderful illustrations with great detail, and a beautiful twist at the end where all the silly things that make up the "dream" story are found in the illustration of the "Emperor's" real-life bedroom at the end. My children love finding all the items! No, this book is not half-an-hour long, aimed at older kids (4-yr olds dont' have the attention span to be able to sit through a single 30-minute story), as is the case for some of Chris's other excellent work. But this is just great for what it is, and thoroughly deserves the awards it has won. I also love his book for the same age group - "Wendell's Workshop".

Silly and fun

This is a beautiful book, with whimsical illustrations that are incredibly detailed and give kids plenty to look at. It also has a wonderful story with a dream-like quality that is fun for kids and adults alike. The format is entertaining as well, with some pages showing several small pictures, almost comic-style, and others with text running up the side of the page. The story is pure fantasy, about a boy who is the Emperor of Absurdia, with a wardrobe monster who helps him get dressed, a dragon that hatches from his lunch - which is an egg, and a bird that steals his scarf. In the end, he "dreams" he is a boy in a normal bedroom, with decorations and toys that look a lot like the like the animals and things he encountered in Absurdia. My kids really enjoy this book. They love the end where they can match up the items in his room with the items in the rest of the story. It's all that I had hoped for - silliness and fun for the kids, with a story that I enjoy reading as well.

excellent book, great illustrations

Excellent, beautiful book! The illustrations are amazing, the font of the book helps the story. It's expansive book, especially hardcover, but totally worth it. My daughter, a young reader, cannot put this book down, reading it over and over again, and the font is large, that helps too. You have to read this story a couple of times to appreciate its magic. Highly recommended!