THE EMPEROR OF ABSURDIA
by Chris Riddell and illustrated by Chris Riddell
This young emperor has clothing issues; the beginning sentences set the scene: “The Emperor of Absurdia was having the most extraordinary dream. All of a sudden he woke to the hoots of the sky fish nibbling the umbrella trees. He tumbled out of bed [à la a clothed Mickey]...into the arms of the Wardrobe Monster.” He searches for his missing snuggly scarf—no luck. He’s served breakfast in his high chair, then supper, then lunch—an egg that hatches a dragon! Hunting in his tricycle chair, he finds the baby dragon and mama dragon, who chases him through the pillow hills and under the umbrella trees back to the Wardrobe Monster, at which point he tumbles into bed. Seussian creatures, delicately lined details and playful page compositions with cinematic panels, all rendered in a blue/yellow palette, impel the action. Political cartoonist and Greenaway Medalist Riddell is comfortable in this curious fantasy world as imagination transforms the ordinary bedroom objects of this charming blue-eyed, tousled towhead into extraordinary dreams. (Picture book. 4-8)