Arrowville (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)) [Hardcover]

Geefwee Boedoe (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)

Beyond the Arrow Mountains,
where winds blow bitter chill,
across the Arrow Ocean
lies a town called Arrowville,
where every pointed person
had a pointed point of view,
and every point in Arrowville
was always just askew.

In Arrowville, the arrows argue all day long, except for an agreeable girl named Barb. When Barb runs away from home, she encounters a family of targets vacationing in Arrowville. The Targets become the target of mistrust, leading to a clamorous climax of chaos and confusion, but in the end Barb and the Targets convince the town that there are certain ideas upon which everyone can agree.

Animator and first-time author Geefwee Boedoe makes his debut with a sly and delicious comedy of errors, featuring lollypops and something even sweeter -- friendship.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 1-4. Arrowville is a disputatious metropolis where "every pointed person had a pointed point of view," and Barb is a misfit who hates the constant conflict and runs away. While in hiding she meets the Targets, red-and-white tourists whose natures are as sweet as the peppermint lollipops they share with the miserable Barb. Meanwhile a "frenzied Arrow mob" takes to the streets, assuming that the intruders are responsible for Barb's disappearance. Professional animator Boedoe's bleak, teetering Arrowville is replete with slyly comic details, from a billboard that touts a spray product called Snide to the arrows bristling from every feature of the landscape. Unfortunately the faltering, singsong verse fails to hit the bull's-eye, the rich possibilities of the arrow-target metaphor are never fully realized, and Arrowville's concluding offer to build "a place just for the Targets. / A place that's fine and sweet" seems a rather regressive gesture of tolerance. But Boedoe's striking representation of simmering paranoia will earn admirers across all age groups, and the accessible format should prove useful for sparking discussion in character education programs. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Geefwee Boedoe is an animator and illustrator who has created art for many Pixar movies, including "Monsters Inc". He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and young daughter. This is his first picture book.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (October 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006055598X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060555986
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,638,248 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new bedtime favourite, April 6, 2005

By 

A reader (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arrowville (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)) (Hardcover)

As a fan of the title sequence in Monsters Inc. along with Geefwee Boedoe's other designs for Pixar, this book was quick to find its way into my shopping basket. My 5 year-old daughter immediately loved the pictures and use of language and it has since become a firm bedtime favourite. Having bought the book for myself originally, I've now had to put it on permanent loan...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars buy it for your smart kids, December 7, 2004

By 

P. Siemer "uncle" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arrowville (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)) (Hardcover)

this book is just plain cool.
The story is simple, but kind of exciting for the young ones. It uses some interesting words, my niece asked all about them and talked more than she ever has (at least to me).
the drawings are done with a subdued color palette that doesn't talk down to kids in the typical Candy Colored way.
If you like your stories cheerful and challenging with a slight edge, give this a read to your young relatives this holiday break.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Supercool, with kid appeal, December 2, 2004

By 

M. Windsor (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arrowville (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)) (Hardcover)

What is most striking about this book is the incredibly appealing artwork - appealing to kids and parents alike (if you liked the title sequence to the movie "Monsters, Inc.," you'll love this book, as Boedoe beautifully designed and illustrated both). The muted colors of some of the pages contrast well with the bright red of the alien target family. The story line is also socially relevant, positive, and written in an appropriate, playful style. There are identifiable influences in Bodoe's work, but this artwork is new, and just plain cool.