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Original Essays | April 29, 2013

Edward Lee: IMG How to Clarify Butter: A Writer's Tale

2 comments By Edward Lee

Chefs don't have time to write. While I was working on Smoke and Pickles, I was running a restaurant — a daily regimen of testing recipes,... Continue »
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    Smoke and Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen

    Edward Lee 9781579654924
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This title in other editions

Instructions

by and

Instructions Cover

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Trust Dreams.

Trust your heart, and trust your story.

A renowned storyteller whose words have transported readers to magical realms and an acclaimed illustrator of lushly imagined fairy-tale landscapes guide a traveler safely through lands unknown and yet strangely familiar...

... and home again.

Review:

"'Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never saw before,' invites Gaiman's poem, first published in A Wolf at the Door (2000), reborn as a lavishly illustrated small-format picture book. A bipedal, bushy-tailed cat, wearing attire befitting Robin Hood, enters a fairy tale landscape filled with subtle and obvious allusions to familiar characters and stories. A cottage door leads him into a hallway of dramatic arches where a cat with an injured paw becomes his companion ('if any creature tells you that it hungers, feed it. If it tells you that it is dirty, clean it'). The wanderers press on, encountering a castle containing three sequestered princesses ('Do not trust the youngest. Walk on'), a ghostly ferryman, and other creatures. Recalling his work on Gaiman's Blueberry Girl, Vess's compositions are distinguished by elegant, winding lines — gnarled vines, plumes of smoke, dragon tails — and intimate frames that evoke moments of gentle wisdom. Young readers should relish the chimerical vision while older Gaiman fans should grasp the underlying suggestion that the compass used to navigate fairy tales can also guide us in the real world. All ages. (May)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"A magical, incantatory poem.... It could be instructions for a child, a writer, a newly minted adult or an elder. It strikes immediately at the place where stories live and provides a feast of archetypes." Kirkus Reviews

Synopsis:

A New York Times-bestselling author, Newbery Medalist, and an award-winning illustrator of lushly imagined fairy-tale landscapes offer instructions for traveling through lands unknown and yet strangely familiar. An ideal gift for graduates of any age. Full color.
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About the Author

Neil Gaiman is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, Anansi Boys, The Graveyard Book, and Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett); the Sandman series of graphic novels; and the story collections Smoke and Mirrors and Fragile Things. He is the winner of numerous literary honors, including the Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy Awards, and the Newbery Medal. Originally from England, he now lives in America.

Charles Vess is one of the most acclaimed artists in the field of illustration. He is the winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Artist. A critically acclaimed fine artist, he has had numerous gallery showings in this country and abroad. He lives in southwest Virginia.

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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Nina French, December 22, 2010 (view all comments by Nina French)
Neil Gaiman's "Instructions" for if you ever find yourself stuck in a fairy tale. I recall having to learn to recite poetry in High School. I thought it was a pointless bore but, I would not have minded learning this poem, especially if the poem were accompanied by Charles Vess' art, as it is in this edition. My first introduction to Neil Gaiman was the "Sandman" comics. I read the paperback of "Stardust," long before I obtained the version that Charles Vess illustrated. I find myself having to obtain the audio versions of Gaiman's books, as well as the print copies. Gaiman is as mesmerizing a reader as he is an author.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780061960307
Author:
Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess
Publisher:
HarperCollins
Illustrator:
Vess, Charles
Author:
Vess, Charles
Author:
Gaiman, Neil
Subject:
English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
Subject:
Poetry : General
Subject:
Fairy Tales & Folklore - Single Title
Subject:
Children's poetry
Edition Description:
Hardcover
Publication Date:
20100431
Binding:
HARDCOVER
Grade Level:
All
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
40
Dimensions:
8 x 7.5 in 9.12 oz
Age Level:
from 1
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Related Subjects

Children's » Picture Books » A to Z
Children's » Picture Books » General
Children's » Poetry » General
Fiction and Poetry » Science Fiction and Fantasy » A to Z

Instructions New Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$14.99 In Stock
Product details 40 pages HarperCollins - English 9780061960307 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "'Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never saw before,' invites Gaiman's poem, first published in A Wolf at the Door (2000), reborn as a lavishly illustrated small-format picture book. A bipedal, bushy-tailed cat, wearing attire befitting Robin Hood, enters a fairy tale landscape filled with subtle and obvious allusions to familiar characters and stories. A cottage door leads him into a hallway of dramatic arches where a cat with an injured paw becomes his companion ('if any creature tells you that it hungers, feed it. If it tells you that it is dirty, clean it'). The wanderers press on, encountering a castle containing three sequestered princesses ('Do not trust the youngest. Walk on'), a ghostly ferryman, and other creatures. Recalling his work on Gaiman's Blueberry Girl, Vess's compositions are distinguished by elegant, winding lines — gnarled vines, plumes of smoke, dragon tails — and intimate frames that evoke moments of gentle wisdom. Young readers should relish the chimerical vision while older Gaiman fans should grasp the underlying suggestion that the compass used to navigate fairy tales can also guide us in the real world. All ages. (May)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "A magical, incantatory poem.... It could be instructions for a child, a writer, a newly minted adult or an elder. It strikes immediately at the place where stories live and provides a feast of archetypes."
"Synopsis" by , A New York Times-bestselling author, Newbery Medalist, and an award-winning illustrator of lushly imagined fairy-tale landscapes offer instructions for traveling through lands unknown and yet strangely familiar. An ideal gift for graduates of any age. Full color.
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