Puss in Boots

Caldecott Medal winner Jerry Pinkney brings a beloved fairy tale to new life.

Jerry Pinkney, one of the country's most celebrated picture book creators, is a master at reimagining classic tales. Now he has turned his talents to Puss in Boots, and he is at his best with this lively, cinematic version.

For generations, children have delighted in the tale of the clever cat who tricks both a king and a sorcerer in order to win a castle and a princess for his penniless master. The humor, the magic, and a lush Renaissance setting are all on glorious display, and a well-placed gatefold adds to the drama. This elegant new edition of Perrault's fairy tale will quickly join the list of essentials for every child's library.

"Following earlier interpretations of 'The Little Red Hen' and 'Little Red Riding Hood', Caldecott Medalist Pinkney (The Lion & the Mouse) offers another sumptuous reimagining of a classic story, this time drawing inspiration from 18th-century France, when Perrault's tale was first translated into English. Working in graphite, colored pencil, and watercolors, Pinkney offers finely detailed portrayals of both the autumnal countryside of dense birch forests and busy fields and the imposing architecture and lavish fashions of the period. Pinkney portrays Puss in naturalistic detail, yet his mischievous, quick-thinking personality radiates from his outsize gestures and facial expressions. As in the original story, Puss — looking dapper in flared scarlet boots and a brimmed hat with turquoise plume — works behind the scenes to engineer a regal life for his master, the youngest son of a miller. Pinkney makes Puss's major triumph (tricking a shape-shifting sorcerer out of his castle) especially dramatic, using a gatefold to show off the man's metamorphosis into a ferocious bear. Given the breathtaking graphics, Pinkney's well-crafted narrative is almost a bonus. Ages 4 – 8. Agent: Sheldon Fogelman, Sheldon Fogelman Agency." Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

"Adult and child can delight together in the richness of color, gilt and detail...captured in such art. The story is palinly and gracefully told." The New York Times Book Review

"A lush and substantial offering." Booklist

Jerry Pinkney, recipient of the 2010 Caldecott Medal, is also a five-time Caldecott Honor winner and five-time Coretta Scott King Award winner, among many other honors. He lives in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.