The Fabulous Feud Of Gilbert And Sullivan - Hardcover

Winter, Jonah

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0439930502 ISBN 13: 9780439930505

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2009

Synopsis

Caldecott Medalist Richard Egielski teams up with Jonah Winter for a story of friendship, fights, and musical comedy!

Welcome to Topsy-Turvydom, a magical kingdom (well, more like an opera stage) full of pirates, policemen, fairies, and fake mustaches! Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Sullivan have ruled this kingdom together in peace, but one day, Mr. Sullivan decides he's had enough. Every opera they write is the same silly old story, and he's ready for something different. Something serious!
Mr. Gilbert is stunned. He's lost his business partner and his best friend, and he needs a brilliant idea in order to get him back.

About this title

About the Author:

Jonah Winter has written many exciting picture book biographies for children, with subjects that include Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Barack Obama, and Dizzy Gillespie. He lives in Pittsburgh, PA.

Richard Egielski received the 1987 Caldecott Medal for HEY, AL, story by Arthur Yorinks, and he has also illustrated texts by Pam Conrad, Margie Palatini, David LaRochelle, and Jonah Winter. The books he has both written and illustrated include BUZ and JAZPER, both named Best Illustrated Children's Books of the year by The New York Times.

From Booklist:

*Starred Review* Setting the scene in Victorian times, “when jolly old England was not so jolly,” this picture book contrasts grim poverty on the streets with a fanciful world created on the stage by popular musical performances. For many years, Gilbert and Sullivan have collaborated on successful operas, but now Mr. Sullivan finds Mr. Gilbert’s stories silly and his plots repetitive. First they quarrel, then they feud. But after a space of time, Mr. Gilbert takes the criticism to heart and, inspired by Japanese artifacts and performers, writes The Mikado, which Mr. Sullivan sets to music. An author’s note provides biographical information on the principals and comments on their collaborative work, its importance, and its appeal. The clearly written story comes alive in a series of distinctive ink-and-watercolor illustrations that are full of intriguing details and show great skill in the use of color, shading, and composition. Many of the double-page spreads show street scenes that incorporate cutaway walls, creating proscenium arches to highlight settings and frame the action in a suitably theatrical way. If the artists’ quarrel seems an unlikely topic for a picture book, its resolution is a hopeful one for any audience. A show stopper. Grades K-3. --Carolyn Phelan

About this edition

• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0439930502
• ISBN 13: 9780439930505
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Egielski Richard