Ok, I’m not making this up.
My 4-year-old found this lovely book at the library. Reading it to him last night, it had the gritty feel of a Tarantino film. The first thing you notice is that the art is all Picasso/Dali surreal.
Walter is sold to a clown for ten bucks by a lying father -- due to the low take on their yard sale (old dentures, dig biscuit, dirty sock, broken sunglasses, used underpants, you get the picture)... which itself is partially a result of the stench of pooch flatus. The clown feeds the dog beans, and straps a glass “fart-catcher” to Walter’s arse that blows up balloons, all for a “good cause” … children’s birthday parties.
In reality, the clown is a manipulative bank robber, using the balloons as weapons to stun and “leverage” anyone in his way: “… or I’ll pop every one of them!”
After the heist, Walter is cajoled by the thief to eat up for the next job, but apparently a leak develops in the contraption on the dog, and the clown’s $50 cigar ignites the “gas” with a vengeance. The clown is blown through a TV set, and with smoking tail, Walter heads home – finding his family and leading the police to the hideout. All is well.
The book is dedicated to “everyone who’s ever felt misjudged or misunderstood.”
Absolutely one of the best I’ve ever read.
The paradox of insular language
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We often develop slang or codewords to keep the others from understanding
what we’re saying. Here’s an example (thanks BK) of the lengths that some
are goi...
1 year ago
4 comments:
what a coincidence! i just looked at that book yesterday because the guy that wrote it also wrote a book about a bear that finds a book manuscript or something in the woods. they did a piece on it on npr and my dad told me i should look into it. strange.
As an avid NPR listener I'm shocked at my own lack of knowledge concerning this literary masterpiece. My beloved Mardar is the media assistant at the local elementary school and was very much poised to find out what this years Caldicott and Newberryi winners would be...guess this book was not a contender.
I find this kind of coincidence akin to glitches in the matrix. They seem inevitably to be important, and rarely come in twos. Keep your eyes open.
does the fact that clay carver commented on your blog make you the leader now?
and it's you! you got me in trouble. fruitpants fruitpants.
that's okay. i have a special place in my heart for you. you were the first that made me feel welcome. i am fiercly loyal. bargar is quite enigmatic and reticent, isn't he? i don't know what to make of him...this blogging business is terribly exciting.
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