Mr. Ape - Softcover

King-Smith, Dick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0375802061 ISBN 13: 9780375802065

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1999

Synopsis

Archibald Peregrine Edmund Spring-Russell ("Ape," for short) is thrilled to be living alone for the first time in his life. Now he can finally fill his fifteen-bedroom house exactly as he pleases -- with twelve big brown hens! But Ape doesn't stop there. Soon there are guinea pigs in the dining room, canaries in the music room, and a talking parrot in the kitchen.

Lucky for Ape, he has friends like Joe and Jake -- two Gypsies whose caravan is parked nearby -- to lend a helping hand. But when an accident leaves his mansion in ruins, Ape will have to decide what's truly important... his old house or his new friends.

About this title

About the Author:

Dick King-Smith lives in Bristol, England.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-6-Archibald Peregrine Edmund Spring-Russell, otherwise known as Ape, is fed up. For years, he's been ignored by his children and bullied by his disagreeable wife. Penny Royal, his ancestral mansion, is about as homey as your typical museum. Now his family has cleared out and he's left alone with 15 empty bedrooms. Ape promptly moves into the kitchen and contemplates buying a pet. Soon there are hens laying eggs in the living room, rabbits and guinea pigs in the dining room, canaries in the music room, and, thanks to some traveling gypsies, a donkey in the garden. Ape soon discovers that he needs help taking care of all of these animals. The two gypsies, Joe Hart and his son, Jake, offer their services, and before he knows it, the elderly man has another family, this one much more to his liking. When Penny Royal accidentally burns to the ground and the Harts are blamed, Ape is forced to decide whether to stay where his ancestors put him or follow his new family to their next stopping place. King-Smith explores several themes in this warm story: prejudice, acceptance, family life, and, above all, the need to be yourself. The soft pencil sketches lend depth to the narrative and bring the characters to life. Peppered with good advice on how to care for and about pets, this book is a winner.
Linda Bindner, Athens Clarke County Library, GA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0375802061
• ISBN 13: 9780375802065
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144
• Illustrator: Roth Roger