The Story of the Blue Planet
$28.95
- Paperback
136 pages
- Release Date
15 December 2013
Summary
A fantastical adventure, beautifully told, unfolds in a deceptively simple tale. Plt;IPgt;The Story of the BluePlt;/IPgt; Planet will delight and challenge readers of all ages.Brimir and Hulda are best friends who live on a small island on a beautiful blue planet where there are only children and no adults. Their planet is wild and at times dangerous, but everything is free, everyone is their friend, and each day is more exciting than the last.P#160;Plt;brPgt;P#160;Plt;brPgt;One day a rocket ship piloted by a strange-looking adult named Gleesome Goodday crashes on the beach. His businessP#160;card claims he is a P#8220;Dream.ComeTrueMaker and joybringer,P#8221; and he promises to make life a hundred times more fun with sun-activated flying powder and magic-coated skin soP#160;that no one ever has to bathe again. Goodday even nails the sun in the sky and creates aP#160;giant wolf to chase away the clouds so it can be playtime all the time. In exchange for these wonderful things, Goodday asks only for a little bit of the childrenP#8217;s youthP#8212;but what is youth compared to a lot more fun? TheP#160;children are so enamored with their new games that they forget all the simple activities they used to love.Plt;brPgt;P#160;Plt;brPgt;During GooddayP#8217;s great flying competition, Hulda and Brimir fly too high to the sun and soar to the other side of planet, where they discoverP#160;it is dark all the time and the children are sickly and pale. Hulda and BrimirP#160;know that without their help, the pale children will die, but first they need to get back to their island and convince their friends that Gleesome Goodday isP#160;not all that he seems.Plt;brPgt;P#160;Plt;brPgt;A fantastical adventure, beautifully told, unfolds in a deceptively simple tale.P#160;Plt;iPgt;The Story of the Blue PlanetP#160;Plt;/iPgt;willP#160;delight and challenge readers of all ages.
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781609805067 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1609805062 |
| Author: | Andri Snaer Magnason, Aslaug Jonsdottir, Julian Meldon D'Arcy |
| Publisher: | Seven Stories Press,U.S. |
| Imprint: | Seven Stories Press,U.S. |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 136 |
| Release Date: | 15 December 2013 |
| Weight: | 232g |
| Dimensions: | 10mm x 140mm x 210mm |
| Audience Age: | 7-10 |
Critics Review
“Magnason’s writing is lean, swift and often lyrical … immensely satisfying—a major contribution to the sparsely populated eco-lit genre, and one that could entice other authors to contribute.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Magnason’s beautifully illustrated and expertly translated book is charming, eccentric, moving, and humbling—often reminiscent of Roald Dahl or William Steig. It’s a magical coming-of-age story that may also remind adults to appreciate the here and the now, and that the grass on the other side may appear greener, but that doesn’t mean it’s better.” —Typographical Era
“It’s a delightful and pointed tale. Indeed, The Story of the Blue Planet, aided by Aslaug Jonsdottir’s fanciful and evocative illustrations, raises important issues about greed, collaboration, friendship and trust that will kick-start discussions among children and their caretakers. Home and school libraries would do well to add it to their collections.” —Truthout
“The sound ecological message that is conveyed in The Story of the Blue Planet has justifiably met with widespread international acclaim, with the book having won numerous highly sought-after prizes, and being the first chidren’s book to be awarded the Icelandic Literary Prize.” —Book Pleasures
“Adventurous and entertaining … the illustrations are lovely and offer a visual stimulus for the story.” —Books for Kids
“Those who enjoyed Adam Gidwitz’s A Tale Dark and Grimm may find Magnason’s cautionary ecological tale a perfect complement. Well-paced, with some wonderful, story-enhancing color illustrations.” —School Library Journal
Andri Snaer Magnason
Andri SnP#230;r Magnason is one of IcelandP#39;s most celebrated young writers. HeP#160;has written poetry, plays, fiction, and non-fiction, and in 2009 he co-directed the documentaryP#160;Plt;iPgt;DreamlandPlt;/iPgt;, which was based on his bookP#160;Plt;iPgt;Dreamland: A Self-HelpP#160;Manual for a Frightened NationPlt;/iPgt;. In 2002P#160;Plt;iPgt;LoveStarPlt;/iPgt;P#160;was named Pquot;Novel ofP#160;the YearPquot; by Icelandic booksellers and received the DV Literary AwardP#160;and a nomination for the Icelandic Literary Prize. Plt;iPgt;LoveStarP#160;Plt;/iPgt;was also shortlisted for the 2013 Philip K. Dick Award.P#160;His childrenP#39;s book,P#160;Plt;iPgt;The Story of the Blue PlanetPlt;/iPgt;P#8212;now published or performed in twenty-sixP#160;countriesP#8212;was the first childrenP#39;s book to receive the IcelandicP#160;Literary Prize, and was also the recipient of the Janusz KorczakP#160;Honorary Award and the West Nordic ChildrenP#39;s Book Prize. Andri is theP#160;winner of the 2010 Kairos Award.Plt;brPgt;Plt;brPgt;P#193;slaug JP#243;nsdP#243;ttirP#160;is an illustrator, author of childrenP#8217;s books, artist, and graphic designer. She has written and illustrated several books for children, amongst themP#160;Plt;iPgt;The EggPlt;bPgt;P#160;Plt;/bPgt;Plt;/iPgt;(Plt;iPgt;EggiPlt;/iPgt;P#240;, 2003),P#160;Plt;iPgt;I Want Fish!Plt;bPgt;P#160;Plt;/bPgt;Plt;/iPgt;(P#201;g vil fisk! 2007), and the award-winningP#160;Plt;iPgt;Good EveningPlt;bPgt;P#160;Plt;/bPgt;Plt;/iPgt;(Gott kvP#246;ld, 2005), which received The BooksellerP#8217;s Prize as the best childrenP#8217;s book of 2005, The Icelandic Illustration Award, The Reykjavik Educational Council ChildrenP#8217;s Book Prize, and was nominated for The Nordic ChildrenP#8217;s Book Award.Plt;brPgt;Plt;brPgt;Julian Meldon DP#8217;Arcy is Professor of English Literature at the University of Iceland. He has written books on Scottish literature and sports, and has translated novels, poetry, and films from Icelandic, including the childrenP#8217;s booksP#160;Plt;iPgt;Flowers on the RoofPlt;/iPgt;P#160;andP#160;Plt;iPgt;The FishermanP#8217;s Boy and the SealPlt;/iPgt;.
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