Polo: The Runaway Book (The Adventures of Polo) (Hardcover)

~ Regis Faller (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2—Polo, the irrepressible and resourceful pooch readers first met in The Adventures of Polo (Roaring Brook, 2006), returns when a little alien steals his new book. He gives chase up strings, down ladders, through a fun-house mirror, in the air, and-well, wherever Faller's fertile imagination takes the little canine. Equipped only with his backpack and dogged determination, Polo follows the thief through graphic-novel-style wordless panels from one fantastic series of improbable adventures to another. Along the way he makes friends, effects rescues, and dodges danger in unexpected ways that will delight readers and confound expectations. Never at a loss in any crisis, the pup pulls from his backpack full banquets, a tuba, rope, and any number of items to help him overcome sticky situations. The chase's conclusion is satisfying, and all of the characters join Polo at his home for a grand celebration. The uncluttered, bright art has plenty of child appeal. Young readers will return often to pore over and revel in Polo's imaginative exploits.—Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha Public Library, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Polo the dog receives a new book as a gift, but when he falls asleep, a curious little creature that looks like a ball of light takes it. The ensuing chase leads Polo into a series of fantastic adventures and gives him the opportunity to meet many new friends. The nearly wordless book (Polo occasionally calls out, "My book!") progresses in colorful panels across each page in a logical narrative that begs readers to supply dialogue. Faller has fun playing with the readers' expectations. In one sequence, Polo plants a magical seed that grows into a huge plant, but when he climbs to the top, he finds himself clinging to a dandelion-like puffball. The ending, when Polo finally catches up to the little creature, is a sweet celebration of reading. The oversize format and paint-box-bright colors make this a visual delight that can be used in prereading activities as well as for family sharing. Kat Kan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (January 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159643189X
• ISBN-13: 978-1596431898
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #167,764 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative, Innovative & One of a kind!, February 28, 2007

By	Heidi (California) - See all my reviews

We LOVE the Polo books! They are some of the favorites on our bookshelf. There are no words, just lavish, very creative illustrations. Children can make up a new story each time they read. Polo drives clouds, plants magic beans and climbs a beanstalk, lands on pink clouds that are made of cotton candy, and most importantly, learns that friendship is the most important thing.

A++ from this family!

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant... a ten-star gem!, October 5, 2007

By	Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Regis Faller's "Polo" picture books are absolutely brilliant and magical... These fab French imports feature Polo, a cheerful, indomitable cartoon dog with a flair for improvisation, bravery and boundless curiosity... The wordless, multi-panel graphic novels recall the fantastic, breathless wonder of the old "Tin-Tin" books, only without any real sense of danger, just pure adventure, fantasy, and fun.

In this volume, Polo returns, and so do the little green men: one of them sneaks into Polo's bedroom and steals his new book, starting a chase that takes them across the oceans, up into the sky, into a weird, white Limbo and into a cloud kingdom with a delicate princess who becomes Polo's friend. Picking up other friends along the way, Polo crosses deserts and rides clouds, frees a genie and climbs a giant dandelion, like Jack climbed the the beanstalk. Finally, after seventy color-filled pages, he catches up to the little green guy, who is reading the runaway book to a group of his friends. Polo sits down to listen, and when the story is over, the green guy gives it back to him.

Polo is an amazing reading experience, and it expects as much from its readers as it gives back. Adults can guide children through the story, commenting on each panel, or summarizing entire pages, creating the narrative as they go along. Children can also spend hours alone, pouring over the panels and making up stories of their own... and they will!

Highly recommended. One of our favorite books. (ReadThatAgain)

5.0 out of 5 stars A joy to read with my son, October 5, 2007

By	J. Keene (Fresno, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My 3-year old son and I found this book at a local library - I think he pulled it off the shelf simply because of its bright, colorful cover. But then we both fell in love with its wordless story. It has been fun to change the story a bit each time we explore the pictures. And it was such a joy to overhear my son "reading" the book to himself, and even adding some new dialog for the characters. I think this book is wonderful for kids who can't read yet, and a great tool for inspiring imagination. I can't wait to get the other Polo book and see what adventures lie in store.