The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine

　　一個從未發表過、馬克吐溫未完成的故事，經過100年之後，由兩位當代知名童書作者再賦予它新生命！一個擁有神奇種子的窮小子，在面對暴君時，如何用勇氣征服一切？

　　

　　1879年的某個夜晚，在巴黎的一間旅館裡，馬克吐溫的女兒們要求父親講一個故事給她們聽。於是，馬克吐溫開始講述強尼—一個擁有神奇種子的窮小子的故事。之後，馬克吐溫曾粗略地記錄下有關這個故事的一些片段，但這個故事從未被完成，直到現在。

　　

　　以加州大學柏克萊分校收藏的馬克吐溫筆記為本，這些文字，如今成了一個世紀後重構這個童話故事的基礎。

　　

　　身邊只有一隻雞陪伴的強尼，是一個孤獨的人。某天，他遇到一位善良的女人，女人給了強尼一些神奇的種子，有了這些種子，強尼擁有了和動物溝通的能力，女人同時要求強尼前去拯救一個落難王子。

　　

　　面對暴君，強尼和他的動物朋友們開始明白慷慨、同情與勇氣，是世界上遠比權力和黃金還要珍貴的禮物。

　　

　　這則經過時間焠鍊的故事，連結起美國歷史上最富傳奇色彩的作家，以及兩位當代最知名的童書作者，優雅、幽默又令人感傷的故事，為我們帶來老故事的新體驗。(文/博客來編譯)

New York Times Bestseller!
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

A never-before-published, previously unfinished Mark Twain children’s story is brought to life by Philip and Erin Stead, creators of the Caldecott Medal-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee.

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, Twain’s notes now form the foundation of a fairy tale picked up over a century later. With only Twain’s 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 Stead’s graceful, humorous, and achingly poignant artwork, this is a story that reaches through time and brings us a new book from America’s most legendary writer, envisioned by two of today’s most important names in children’s literature.

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year

＂Will capture the imaginations of readers of all ages＂--USA Today, ★ ★ ★ ★ (out of four stars)

★ ＂Samuel Langhorne Clemens himself would be proud.＂--Booklist, starred review

★ ＂A cast of eccentric characters, celestially fine writing, and a crusade against pomp that doesn’t sacrifice humor.＂--Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ ＂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

★ ＂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.＂--School Library Journal, starred review

★ ＂Beautifully understated and nuanced illustrations by Erin Stead add the finishing flourishes to this remarkable work.＂--Shelf Awareness, starred review

＂drawn with a graceful crosshatched intelligence that seems close to the best of Wyeth.＂--Adam Gopnik, The New York Times

＂Twain and the two Steads have created what could become a read-aloud classic, perfect for families to enjoy together.＂--The Horn Book

＂Artful and meta and elegant＂--The Wall Street Journal

＂Should inspire readers young and old to seek further adventures with Twain.＂--The Washington Post

MARK TWAIN (1835-1910), considered one of the greatest writers in American literature, was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Missouri. As a young child, he moved with his family to Hannibal, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River, a setting that inspired his two best-known novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain and his wife, Olivia Langdon Clemens, had four children--a son, Langdon, who died as an infant, and three daughters, Susy, Clara, and Jean.

PHILIP STEAD is the author of the Caldecott Medal-winning book A Sick Day for Amos McGee. With his wife, illustrator Erin Stead, he also created Bear Has a Story to Tell, Lenny & Lucy, and The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine. Philip has also written and illustrated his own books, including Hello, My Name Is Ruby; Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat; and A Home for Bird. Philip and Erin live in northern Michigan. Visit Philip online at philipstead.com.

ERIN STEAD is the illustrator of eight highly-acclaimed picture books: the Caldecott Medal-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee; The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine; Tony; And Then It’s Spring; Bear Has a Story to Tell; Lenny & Lucy; If You Want to See a Whale; and The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles. She lives in northern Michigan with her husband, author/illustrator Philip Stead. Visit Erin online at erinstead.com.