Synopses & Reviews
In this imaginative interpretation of the nursery rhyme and#147;The House That Jack Built,and#8221; young Jack builds an amazing fort in the middle of the living room, using the chairs, blankets, and other objects on hand. Unfortunately, those objects belong to his family members, so when they want their things backand#151;there goes the walls and roof! Jack struggles to keep his fortress going as it crumbles piece by piece. Finally, Grandma saves the day with her quilts for a sweet, satisfying ending filled with family fun. Boni Ashburnand#8217;s text is brought to life by acclaimed illustrator Brett Helquist, whose lively style takes this tale beyond the living room and into the world of adventure.
Praise for The Fort That Jack Built
"Helquist's colorful illustrations truly capture the active imaginative play of youngsters in this humorous variation of the nursery rhyme."
--Booklist
"Rich but retro color palette."
--Kirkus Reviewsand#160;
Review
"Written with old-fashioned flair, this fast-paced book is not for the squeamish....Those who enjoy a little poison in their porridge will find it wicked good fun." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"While the misfortunes hover on the edge of being ridiculous, Snicket's energetic blend of humor, dramatic irony, and literary flair makes it all perfectly believable." Library Journal
Review
"The Series of Unfortunate Events has so much to recommend to readers of all ages like Sesame Street or The Simpsons, the humor is never patronizing but appeals indiscriminately to old and young. Snicket artfully educates young readers, pausing to explain long words or expressions..." Georgie Lewis, Powells.com (read the entire Powells.com review)
Synopsis
Within the pages of this novel, readers will discover one of the books upon which the movie
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is based:
The Bad Beginning. Like the movie, this book tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children, who despite being clever and charming lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very beginning of this volume, when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing onto the last page of this distressing story, disaster lurks at their heels. Unlike the movie, however, this book is printed on paper.
Count Olaf is not only smart, he is also intelligent. A renowned, talented, and handsome actor, he certainly could have his choice of marrying any number of beautiful women, but for the time being remains single and, sadly, childless. Fans of theatrics should watch for the name "Count Olaf" on marquees and in local newspapers everywhere.
P.S. He is also very good-looking.
Synopsis
Tie in books for the feel bad movie of the year
"
Synopsis
Dear Fan of Count Olaf,
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely boring. If you are looking for a good time, you would have a better time watching a motion picture starring a handsome count.
My major motion picture, for example, starring me, features a mansion burnt to a crisp, three sad orphans lucky enough to meet a dashing count, and a vast fortune that ought to be mine. True, this "book" has all the same details, but there are so many words in it, you'll be bored to tears.
Take my advice: Put this thing down at once and rush to your local movie theater to marvel at my groundbreaking performance in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Of course you may have my autograph:
Count Olaf
Synopsis
After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune.
Synopsis
Tie–in books for the feel–bad movie of the year!
About the Author
Lemony Snicket was born before you were, and is likely to die before you as well. His family has roots in a part of the country which is now underwater, and his childhood was spent in the relative splendor of the Snicket Villa which has since become a factory, a fortress and a pharmacy and is now, alas, someone else's villa.
To the untrained eye, Mr. Snicket's hometown would not appear to be filled with secrets. Untrained eyes have been wrong before. The aftermath of the scandal was swift, brutal and inaccurately reported in the periodicals of the day. It is true, however, that Mr. Snicket was stripped of several awards by the reigning authorities, including Honorable Mention, the Grey Ribbon and First Runner Up. The High Council reached a convenient if questionable verdict and Mr. Snicket found himself in exile.
Though his formal training was chiefly in rhetorical analysis, he has spent the last several eras researching the travails of the Baudelaire orphans. This project, being published serially by HarperCollins, takes him to the scenes of numerous crimes, often during the off-season. Eternally pursued and insatiably inquisitive, a hermit and a nomad, Mr. Snicket wishes you nothing but the best.
Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, and grew up in Orem, Utah. Soon after Mr. Helquist's own dreams of becoming a pirate were sunk, he became an illustrator and took on the dangerous work of illustrating the New York Times best-selling Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. He lives in Brooklyn, where he keeps a very old and mysterious map marked with an "X."