Jabberwocky [Hardcover]

Lewis Carroll (Author), Christopher Myers (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Why shouldn't the Jabberwocky be a fourteen-fingered, slam-dunking beast?

Lewis Carroll challenged readers' imaginations with his most famous poem, "Jabberwocky". Here, Christopher Myers takes on that challenge by brilliantly re-imagining it as a face off on the basketball court. In this fresh take on the classic poem, our brave hero has mad skills, and with the help of his Vorpal 2000s, he emerges triumphant.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Pulsing with vibrant color, this imaginative interpretation of Carroll's classic nonsense poem takes it out of the pages of Through the Looking Glass, into a contemporary urban setting, and onto the basketball court. The calmer 'Twas brillig verses that begin and end the poem are illustrated with children outdoors, skipping rope and playing at an open fire hydrant, while the more intense middle verses involve a young man challenging the fierce, enormous Jabberwock on the court. The Jabberwock, apparently some 20 feet tall and well equipped for blocking shots with his bulky frame and outsize, six-fingered hands, is no match for his nimbler, lighter-than-air opponent, who triumphs in the end (O FRABJOUS DAY! CALLOOH! CALLAY!). Against colors so fiery and intense that they seem to radiate heat, the imposing black shape of the Jabberwock and the shaded brown form of the hero create strong, often-silhouetted images that play out the scenes with a ferocious concentration of energy and more than a little magic. At the book's beginning and end, a painting faces a page of text in large, bold letters on bright, solid colors, with certain words highlighted in boxes in contrasting hues. The middle section, during the game, brings the action front and center, with words on the page right along with the artwork. Full of energy, this radiant version of Jabberwocky commands and rewards attention. Phelan, Carolyn

About the Author

Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), the pen name of Oxford mathematician, logician, photographer and author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, is famous the world over for his fantastic classics “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,“ “Through the Looking Glass,“ “The Hunting of the Snark,“ “Jabberwocky,“ and “Sylvie and Bruno.”

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Jump At The Sun; Library Binding edition (September 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423103726
• ISBN-13: 978-1423103721
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,203,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), the pen name of Oxford mathematician, logician, photographer and author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, is famous the world over for his fantastic classics "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," "Through the Looking Glass," "The Hunting of the Snark," "Jabberwocky," and "Sylvie and Bruno."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Caldecott Contender, November 25, 2007

By 

T. H. Jones (Coos Bay, Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jabberwocky (Hardcover)

Christopher Myers has created a picture book for all ages. This sporty interpretation of Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky is brilliantly illustrated. A 2007 must have for every library..home and school!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic poem+fresh interpretation=Success!, May 18, 2008

By 

Backroads "Scatter-brained book fan" (Cache Valley, Utah) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Jabberwocky (Hardcover)

I am not sure what originall about this book caught my eye. I was in the school library with my students when I stumbled across this. I wanted to save it for February and Black History Month, but it just looked so darn cool that I had to read it immediately. After a discussion of "nonsense" words with my class, I opened this incredible reimagining of the famous poem and we were instantly swept away in Myers' usual dizzying color and street ball images that worked very a well with a poem I had always thought was about a medieval monster. But hey, why can't the poem be about a tall-tale basketball player and the scamp that dares to challenge him? Awesome read all the way around.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant reinvention of a classic, May 11, 2008

By 

Lawrence Charters "-- Lawrence" (Columbia, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jabberwocky (Hardcover)

"Jabberwocky" is a poem inside of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland," rather than a stand-alone piece of literature. Yet because of its intricate use of language, both real and invented, it fairly demands to be recited, quoted, and referenced (in everything from advanced particle physics to James Joyce), despite being relegated to the outback of "children's literature."

But what does it mean? Christopher Myers has reinvented the poem, without changing one word, through a series of dramatic drawings. Yes, it is only 32 pages, but if you ever wanted to know what "reinvention" meant, you should read this book.