Advice to Little Girls
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- $0.99
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- $0.99
Publisher Description
In perhaps the most satirical children’s book of all time, Mark Twain dishes out outrageous, witty, and practical advice for girls with ease. Twain advises restraint for small offences, explains how to use coercion instead of brute force, and recommends that young girls learn from their past mistakes. Written at a time when girls were expected to conform to society, Twain breaks down barriers and encourages young girls to explore the limits of their potential. Mark Twain originally wrote Advice to Little Girls as a tongue-in-cheek parody of commonplace etiquette books. Several additional quotes by Twain complement the original work in this edition, and add depth to his advice. Also included is an activity, a quiz, and definitions of complicated words. New York artist Anna Shukeylo paints Twain’s reasonable absurdities, igniting the imagination of little girls around the world.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Radunsky's (You?) ink flourishes and adorable, lumpy figures steal the stage from Twain's essay, printed in a typewritten font and clipped to the pages like notes. The essay parodies the etiquette books of Twain's time, counseling deviousness over savagery. "If you have nothing but a rag-doll... while one of your more fortunate little playmates has a costly China one, you should treat her with a show of kindness nevertheless." Radunsky's paintings don't portray the tension between thought and deed; they're all id. The rag-doll owner heaves her doll high above her head, ready to smash it over the head of the other girl ("And you ought not to attempt to make a forcible swap with her unless your conscience would justify you in it"). Another girl puts a furious pink tongue out at a large-bosomed matron, who responds in kind. Scribbly ink figures litter the margins of the golden pages; period costumes offer the only note of social restraint. It's less readaloud than objet d'art, but the descendants of the girls to whom the essay was originally addressed will recognize themselves. Ages 4 8.
