Crazy Hair [Hardcover]

Neil Gaiman (Author), Dave McKean (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: May 26, 2009 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

"In my hair

Gorillas leap,

Tigers stalk,

And ground sloths sleep.

Prides of lions

Make their lair

Somewhere in my crazy hair."

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The duo responsible for The Wolves in the Walls (2003) return with another chaotic picture book popping with bright collage and multimedia imagery. A man takes umbrage with a young girl ogling his outrageous hairdo, and tells her in a series of increasingly ridiculous rhymes all the things that can be found in the stupendous swaths swirling upon his head (“Hunters send in expeditions, / Radio back their positions / Still, we’ve lost a dozen there / Lost inside my crazy hair.”) Each page is a veritable feast for the eyes, with frazzled clumps of hair competing for attention with outlandish elements—carousels, pirate ships, blue octopi, comb-eating bears—incorporated into the frenzied mix. There’s something a little unsettling and unhinged about the imagery, just on the safe side of nightmarish; but the text, for the most part, is delightful and glib. The whole thing comes off as a little self-gratifying on the creators’ parts, but there is no doubting the dazzling creativity on display. Perhaps best recommended for children with an adventurous artistic sensibility. Preschool-Grade 3. --Ian Chipman

Review

'A bold and exciting picture book reuniting notoriously inventive duo Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean ... McKean's audacious illustrations bring the rhyming text vividly to life in this daring celebration of the imagination. Striking and theatrical' The Bookseller 'Sometimes scientifically accurate and sometimes surreal, over-arching all is the movement, rhythm and pace achieved through the combination of text and illustration. Provoking questions about what it is to be free in thought and form, this is a work of unique luminescence that may well change the way hair is looked at forever' The Bookseller --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition/First Printing edition (May 26, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060579080
• ISBN-13: 978-0060579081
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I make things up and write them down. Which takes us from comics (like SANDMAN) to novels (like ANANSI BOYS and AMERICAN GODS) to short stories (some are collected in SMOKE AND MIRRORS) and to occasionally movies (like Dave McKean's MIRRORMASK or the NEVERWHERE TV series, or my own short film A SHORT FILM ABOUT JOHN BOLTON).

In my spare time I read and sleep and eat and try to keep the blog at www.neilgaiman.com more or less up to date.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#98 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#12 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#14 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#17 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#27 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#37 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure

#12 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#14 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#17 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#27 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#37 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My 2 yr old loves it and so do I!!! June 30, 2009

By Karissa Eckert TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Okay so I am a huge Gaiman fan. I know Gaiman has released a couple books for children, but I don't have any of them. When I saw "Crazy Hair" was coming out I actually pre-ordered it. All my expectations were met; it is a great kid's book and I also enjoy it as an adult.

I read through it first by myself to make sure it wasn't too scary. Personally the fact that the main character has all of this crazy stuff living in his hair creeped me out a little. Then the girl gets sucked into his hair; which I thought might be scary to my 2 1/2 year old son. Still once the girl is in his hair she has a really good time. The pictures (in true Dave McKean style) are very abstract and a little creepy. There is one picture in particular with a pirate ship swooping through huge hair folicles that is a bit odd. So all-in-all the normal mix of wildly creative, creepy, strange that I have come to expect from the Gaiman/McKean team. The book itself is a good length for a toddler; long enough to be a good story but short enough to keep their attention.

So, how did my son like it?

He absolutely loves this book. We read it over and over. He loves that every stanza ends with "crazy hair!" and screams that closing statement at the top of his lungs. He thinks it is really neat that all of this stuff lives in this guy's hair. When the girl gets sucked into the guy's hair he thinks it is hilarious and he has memorized all of the neat things she does "dancing in his crazy hair!"

He also finds the abstract artwork fascinating and will spend (well not hours) but minutes at a time (that's a lot for a toddler) just staring at them and pointing out the things he sees.

In summary I was very pleased with this book and so was my 2 1/2 year old son. We read it every night. It is a great story with wonderful artwork. It made me anxious to get some of Gaiman and McKean's other children's books. This is a book that I will keep forever; it definitely gets a spot on my keeper shelf. I would strongly recommend this book for all ages.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Cracked up Mom, Dad and Baby Boy March 5, 2010

By Curly Girl

Format:Hardcover

I picked this up at the library for my husband to read to our 9-mo old for bedtime. I didn't read it before hand - the title and art made it seem worth the rental. That evening my husband and I were laughing out loud, loving the language and illustrations. Even our baby got into the act, pointing at the pictures and grinning. It was the first book my husband picked up the next night too. We'll be putting in on our book-wish list for the future.

I will say that it is just a tad creepy that this guy's hair abducts the little girl. But its also just a storybook, right?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly delightful September 6, 2009

By J. Day Mattson

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Gaiman and McKean are a match made in heaven and this is my favorite of their collaborations so far. Taken from a poem that Gaiman wrote in response to his daughter's comment about his "crazy hair's" behavior in humidity, he has applied his trademark ear for delightful, offbeat descriptions and, in this case, unusual rhyme. McKean's art is dark, lovely, and fantastical and enhances the text. I highly recommend this.