Starred Review ALA Booklist (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Starred Review This beautiful book began as a story that Twain told his daughters Clara and Suzy in 1879. Perhaps hoping to expand it, Twain subsequently took 16 pages of notes that lay unread for more than 100 years until they were discovered in the Mark Twain Archives. They form the foundation of the yarn that Philip C. Stead helps spin. Sprightly and the spirit of Twain ightly sardonic, it's the tale of an impoverished young boy named Johnny who is given a handful of magic seeds by an old woman. He plants one and when it has blossomed, he eats its flower and discovers he can talk to animals! One of them, a skunk named Suzy, quickly becomes his friend. Accompanied by all the animals of the land, they go on a quest to find the missing Prince Oleomargarine. The conceit of this charming oddity is that it is being told to Stead by Twain himself, who makes a guest appearance in scattered interludes. The book is hugely enhanced by the exquisite illustrations that Caldecott-winning Erin Stead has created. Rendered in wood carving, ink, pencil, and a laser cutter, they range from little vignettes to lavish double-page spreads set off by generous amounts of white space. The result is a gift to the eye. Samuel Langhorne Clemens himself would be proud.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

This recently discovered Twain fairy tale finds life as a picture book.Completing a story penned by arguably America's greatest author is no easy feat, but the Caldecott-winning author-illustrator (and husband-wife) team proves more than equal to the task, transforming Twain's jotted notes in an 1879 journal entry about a story told to his daughters into a beautifully illustrated fable that showcases the exemplary talents of all three artists. The tale follows the adventures of Johnny, a kindhearted African-American child being raised by his cruel grandfather. Forced to sell his only friend—a pet chicken—Johnny, rather like Jack before him, instead acquires seeds, the flowers from which enable him to converse with animals. When Prince Oleomargarine—the kingdom's heir—is kidnapped, Johnny and his animal friends mount a rescue. Interwoven through the fairy tale is a series of author's notes detailing a fictitious meeting between Twain and the author, from which this story emerges. Twain's presence in the narrative allows Philip Stead to both acknowledge his literary debt and retain the freedom to make the tale his own. He is aided by Erin Stead's sublime print illustrations, which demonstrate her masterful ability to create physical presence and characters' emotions as well as landscapes; the muted greens, soft blues, and light pinkish-brown hues of her double-page spreads set a magical tone for a world that mirrors, but is not quite, our own. A pensive and whimsical work that Twain would applaud. (Picture book. 8-adult)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Gr 4-8Using 16 pages of abbreviated handwritten notes from 1880 and outlining a tale Twain made up for his daughters, Stead has created a rhythmic and imaginative story seamlessly blended with intermittent "discussions" between the two authors. Twain's story is set in a land where "the luckless and hungry remain luckless and hungry for all of their lives," while "in the United States of America, everyone and everything is given a fair and equal chance. It would be rude to believe otherwise." Young Johnny, the main character, lives with his mean old grandfather on a piece of arid land with a withered old apple tree and a chicken that his grandfather has ordered him to sell at the market "for something worth eating." Along the way, he meets an old blind woman who trades a handful of blue seeds she obtained from a fairy for the chicken. After eating the flower that grows from the blue seed, Johnny is able to converse with animals who provide a banquet, help build him a house, and lead him to the missing Prince Oleomargarine. Here Twain disappears, and Stead is obliged to provide the story's ending. Erin Stead's numerous softly detailed illustrations in muted browns, greens, and yellows; laser cuttings; and block-printed silhouettes bring the unusual cast of characters to life. VERDICT The combination of Twain's (often sarcastic) humor and "lessons of life," a touch of allegory, and Stead's own storytelling skills result in an awesome piece of fantasy.Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Public Library, OH

Horn Book

From Twain's notes on a bedtime tale spun for his children, Philip Stead develops a folktale-like story full of nonsense. It involves the orphaned Johnny (illustrated as African American), his pet chicken, a handful of blue seeds, and a life-expanding journey. The story maintains wry humor throughout and provides timely commentary on human nature. Erin Stead's pictures invite a child's contemplation of tiny but meaningful details.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

This recently discovered Twain fairy tale finds life as a picture book.Completing a story penned by arguably America's greatest author is no easy feat, but the Caldecott-winning author-illustrator (and husband-wife) team proves more than equal to the task, transforming Twain's jotted notes in an 1879 journal entry about a story told to his daughters into a beautifully illustrated fable that showcases the exemplary talents of all three artists. The tale follows the adventures of Johnny, a kindhearted African-American child being raised by his cruel grandfather. Forced to sell his only friend—a pet chicken—Johnny, rather like Jack before him, instead acquires seeds, the flowers from which enable him to converse with animals. When Prince Oleomargarine—the kingdom's heir—is kidnapped, Johnny and his animal friends mount a rescue. Interwoven through the fairy tale is a series of author's notes detailing a fictitious meeting between Twain and the author, from which this story emerges. Twain's presence in the narrative allows Philip Stead to both acknowledge his literary debt and retain the freedom to make the tale his own. He is aided by Erin Stead's sublime print illustrations, which demonstrate her masterful ability to create physical presence and characters' emotions as well as landscapes; the muted greens, soft blues, and light pinkish-brown hues of her double-page spreads set a magical tone for a world that mirrors, but is not quite, our own. A pensive and whimsical work that Twain would applaud. (Picture book. 8-adult)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Working from notes Twain made after telling an especially successful bedtime story, Philip C. Stead completes the tale of gentle Johnny, whose heart is pure despite his bleak surroundings and cruel grandfather. A magic flower gives him the power to understand the speech of animals, and a menagerie of kindly creatures helps him win the reward for finding the kingdom-s lost Prince Oleomargarine-an insufferable twit, as it turns out. In postmodern fashion, Johnny-s odyssey is often interrupted by imagined banter between Twain and Stead, who sit outside an island cabin and argue about how to proceed. Erin Stead-s exquisite woodblock-and-pencil prints give the creamy pages an ethereal feel; her detailed close-up portraits of the main characters create a sense of intimate acquaintance. Even the action spreads have the stately appearance of medieval tapestries, as when Johnny and his animal family appear before the king: the tiny monarch, a tad defensive about his stature, sits on a throne that elevates him almost to the ceiling, putting him face-to-face with the delegation-s giraffe. At the story-s heart is a plea for honesty and kindness, expressed in its purest form by Johnny, who-unlike his voluble authors-doesn-t say much. -Then he opened his mouth and discovered the words that could save mankind from all its silly, ceaseless violence.... He said: -I am glad to know you.--- Stead stays faithful to Twain with a cast of eccentric characters, celestially fine writing, and a crusade against pomp that doesn-t sacrifice humor. Ages 8-12. Agent: (for the Mark Twain House and Museum) Tina Wexler, ICM; (for the Steads) Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (Sept.)