The Cranky Sun [Hardcover]

Jerry Kramsky (Author), Lorenzo Mattotti (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1996

Believing that their town clock controls the movements of the sun, the citizens of Underwind are shocked when the cantankerous Sun refuses to set at the end of one day, a dilemma that is solved by a small boy's ingenuity.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The oversized format of this book provides Mattotti (Eugenio) with a flattering venue for his over-the-top artwork, here depicting a village where buildings swoop and swirl and where the people look as loopy as they act. All is color and movement in his fantastic vision. Unfortunately the narrative swerves with even greater abandon, making for a confusing and badly paced tale. In this village a marvelous clock tells the sun when to rise and when to set. One day, the sun determines to take orders no more: she will not go down and the day will not end. Desperate schemes are hatched to compel the sulking sun to go to bed, but all meet with failure until a little boy tries an empathic approach. Kramsky's story spirals forward with little regard for linear plotting (the "special clock" fades from the narrative, and a clock's mechanic and a vagabond who knows the langague of birds disappear from the text shortly after they're introduced). The story's moral, that demands do not always bring the best results, is hardly worth the build-up. Not even Mattotti's playful pictures redeem this slender tale. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2?The village of Underwind, where fantastic things happen, is famous for its garden of sweets (children may be disappointed that it's mentioned only in the opening sentence) and for its special clock that, according to the villagers, controls the sun. The story focuses on what happens when the sun refuses to set. To remedy the situation, various persuasions and commands are tried. The famous singer sings, the wise scientists talk in complicated terms, and the cook offers a plate of spaghetti, but the sun is sick of being told what to do and listens to no one until a little boy declares he is tired and suggests that perhaps the sun is also. The absurd tone of the text is more than matched by Mattotti's unique cartoon illustrations. Done with a grainy texture that looks like oil pastels, they are full of strong colors, curves, and distortions. The colors and unusual contrasts give the impression of too much stark light. The sun, with its large nose and creased brow, does indeed look cranky as it looms over the clock tower. Children who have outgrown Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon (HarperCollins, 1947) will enjoy this quirky bedtime story.?Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (Juv) (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316503614
• ISBN-13: 978-0316503617
• Product Dimensions: 13 x 9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,905,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleaser for parents as well as kids., October 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cranky Sun (Hardcover)

This is one of my favorite books to read to my 2 1/2 year old son. The illustrations are truly beautiful, perfectly matched by the lyrical, imaginative text. The book's message - that nicely asking someone to do something, rather than ordering them or bribing them to do it, is worthwhile as well.