The Surprise
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Celebrating the quiet power of being different, The Surprise is the children’s debut from acclaimed authors Zadie Smith and Nick Laird, with art from exciting newcomer Magenta Fox.
Meet Maud: a guinea pig who inexplicably wears a judo suit—and not everyone understands or approves. When Maud is thrown into a new and confusing situation, it takes brave decisions and serendipitous encounters for her to find her place and embrace her individuality.
The Surprise is an endearing story about the quiet power of being different by two veteran writers, and introduces an exciting debut illustrator. Together they have created a picture book that adults and children alike will treasure.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A pet seeks belonging in this familiar-feeling narrative, a picture book debut from married collaborators Smith and Laird as well as illustrator Fox. On Kit's birthday, "her present was a soft, small, sleepy surprise"—a guinea pig dressed in a judo outfit ("I'm quite into judo," she explains). But when Kit, portrayed with brown skin, heads out for a bit, the other pets express skepticism about the Surprise. "Oh, she's definitely an oddball," declares Dora the cat; "If you're not a cat or a dog or a bird, you're an oddball." When the Surprise tries to impress by tying balloons to her waist and flying, she floats right out of the window—and, fortuitously, onto the balcony of an Auntie Mame–esque neighbor, red-haired Emily Brookstein, who states, "Life's too short not to be an oddball." After a splendid afternoon of eating macaroons, playing cards, and feeling seen, the Surprise is returned to her owner, who at last gives her a name: Maud. Finally feeling secure about herself and Kit's love, Maud makes a place for herself among the other pets (they even apologize and ask for judo lessons). It's a tonally frewheeling picture book whose chatty narration and dialogue are anchored by precise, fine-lined art and vivid characterizations. Ages 3–7.
