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The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine | Mark Twain, Philip C. Stead
10 posts | 11 read | 7 to read
A never-before-published, previously unfinished Mark Twain childrens story is brought to life by Caldecott Medal winners Philip Stead and Erin Stead. In a hotel in Paris one evening in 1879, Mark Twain sat with his young daughters, who begged their father for a story. Twain began telling them the tale of Johnny, a poor boy in possession of some magical seeds. Later, Twain would jot down some rough notes about the story, but the tale was left unfinished . . . until now. Plucked from the Mark Twain archive at the University of California at Berkeley, Twains notes now form the foundation of a fairy tale picked up over a century later. With only Twains fragmentary script and a story that stops partway as his guide, author Philip Stead has written a tale that imagines what might have been if Twain had fully realized this work. Johnny, forlorn and alone except for his pet chicken, meets a kind woman who gives him seeds that change his fortune, allowing him to speak with animals and sending him on a quest to rescue a stolen prince. In the face of a bullying tyrant king, Johnny and his animal friends come to understand that generosity, empathy, and quiet courage are gifts more precious in this world than power and gold. Illuminated by Erin Steads graceful, humorous, and achingly poignant artwork, this is a story that reaches through time and brings us a new book from Americas most legendary writer, envisioned by two of todays most important names in childrens literature. ? "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. . . . A pensive and whimsical work that Twain would applaud."Kirkus, starred review ? "a cast of eccentric characters, celestially fine writing, and a crusade against pomp that doesn't sacrifice humor."Publishers Weekly, starred review ? "The result is a gift to the eye. Samuel Langhorne Clemens himself would be proud."Booklist, starred review ? "The combination of Twains (often sarcastic) humor and lessons of life, a touch of allegory, and Steads own storytelling skills result in an awesome piece of fantasy."School Library Journal, starred review "bound to become a reading staple for all ages."RealSimple.com
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faelinwolf
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine | Mark Twain, Philip C. Stead
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There are many unflattering ways to leave this world, but none quite so unflattering as being forced to live in it.

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GatheringBooks
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine | Mark Twain, Philip C. Stead
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Pickpick

#Gratitude30 Day 23: There is a #Scent of the familiar in this completed and reimagined narrative by Mark Twain pieced together from fragmentary outlines and new life breathed into it by masterful storytellers. There is a hugeness to the smallness of the story, and at the same time seeing the universe in the small – exactly how Mark Twain has always made me feel as a reader. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-iPc

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Sandsing7
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine | Mark Twain, Philip C. Stead
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Pickpick

Fantastic!

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thebluestocking
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine | Mark Twain, Philip C. Stead
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this tale woven by Philip Stead from Mark Twain‘s notes of a story he told his children. It‘s clever and meta and the illustrations are gorgeous.

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TieDyeDude
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine | Mark Twain, Philip C. Stead
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Pickpick

Loved it! Princess-Bride level meta-writing. Plenty of Twain's humor and wit while still leaving room for the author's own voice. If you haven't heard of this, read the article linked below, because the story behind the book is pretty cool ** https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/01/20/books/mark-twain-childrens-book.html?refer...

DivineDiana I saw a segment on theSunday Morning Show about this. Fascinating! 7y
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Cortg
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine | Mark Twain, Philip C. Stead
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I‘m so fortunate to work where I do! At today‘s staff meeting, we all had a chance to share a recent read that we loved (or not so much.) It was awesome to hear what my coworkers read recently and I got some great recommendations! To top it off, one of our peeps moved to Hawaii and stopped by for a surprise visit! She came straight from the airport with the hopes of catching everyone after our 2nd Tuesday of the month meeting! ❤️

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jackilynn
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine | Mark Twain, Philip C. Stead
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The things found under the dust jackets 😍😍

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LyndseyReads
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine | Mark Twain, Philip C. Stead
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Sometimes, Dad sends me a book out of the blue. This week a story by Mark Twain recently completed by author/illustrator team Phillip and Erin Stead. It made my day! (Guess where my love of books comes from? 😊)

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TieDyeDude
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine | Mark Twain, Philip C. Stead
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#spookyoctober #octoberTBR @Jess7

I'm really excited for this previously unpublished work from Mark Twain. I also have Batman Vol. 3 featuring Bane, Ablutions by Patrick deWitt, and Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly high on my list/on hold at the library.

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PJPeski
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine | Mark Twain, Philip C. Stead
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Pickpick

What a lovely book!