The Beast of Monsieur Racine

PreS-Gr 2—Two charmers from this inimitable picture-book artist. The first title, which was dedicated to Maurice Sendak, features a retired tax collector with a prized pear tree. When the man awakens one day to find his precious fruit has been stolen, he is determined to capture the culprit. He succeeds in catching the thief, but instead of vengeance, he is consumed with curiosity about and affection for gentle, lumpy beast. "I lost my pears but found a companion" says the old tax collector. When he takes his rare, unusual specimen to Paris to present to the Academy and a hoax is revealed, a media circus of monumental proportions ensues. This quirky story defies expectations and charms with its wit and subtle wisdom. The art is uproarious and as appealing as ever. One, Two is as playful and engaging as it is brilliantly executed, making a visual seek-and-find game of the simple rhyme. Kids will never look at shoes the same way again. Both stories were originally published in German in the early 1970s and have been out of print in the U.S. for years.