Synopses & Reviews
Illustrated by Marc Rosenthal. An old-fashioned hairy tale. The time has come. Dad's decided to shave off his Beard. But the Beard refuses to go. Escaping glinting razor, swirling bowl, and gurgling drain, the Beard launches itself off Dad's face and onto the nearest chin--the baby's! And so begins an inspired story of a Beard, a boy named Jack, and their misadventures in trying to find the Beard a new home--on Jack's face, decorating his sister's Barbie doll, on the dog's chin, camouflaging itself on a book about Lincoln. Written in deadpan narrative by David Schiller, author of The Little Zen Companion ("Where does a beard go when you shave it off?" might be a Zen koan), and illustrated with energetic high humor by Marc Rosenthal in a style reminiscent of old comics, The Runaway Beard is a hairy tale about finding your place in the world. And to help kids play along, the book comes with its own kid-size costume beard on an elastic string, packaged in the see-through die-cut front cover. Will the Beard ever find happiness? Just wait until Jack's bald uncle pays a visit--and Jack gets an idea. For ages 2-6.
Review
"Occasional badness has never been so good."
and#8212;Kirkus
"The book's oddball sense of humor is unflagging."
and#8212;Publishers Weekly
"A mustached baby will surely make audiences howl during read-alouds."
and#8212;Booklist Online
"You never know what you'll get in the delivery room, and something isn't quite right with this new baby. . . . Heos's offbeat tale muses on the possibilities, playing off parental hope and panicky nightmares."
and#8212;New York Times Book Review
"[This] book bristles with appealing humor."
and#8212;The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Quirky, silly fun."
and#8212;School Library Journal
Synopsis
Beard on baby? Beard on the dog? Beard walking down the street? A picture book that comes with its own wear-it-and-read-along beard, here is the nutty story of a Beard on the loose and a friendship that will grow on you.
Synopsis
Dad has decided to shave off his Beard. But the Beard refuses to go. Escaping glinting razor, swirling bowl, and gurgling drain, the Beard launches itself off Dad's face and onto the nearest chin--the baby's chin! The first children's storybook by the author of "The Little Zen Companion" and "The Little Book of Prayers", this old-fashioned hairy tale comes with its own costume beard. Full-color throughout.
Synopsis
Beard on baby? Beard on the dog? Beard walking down the street? A picture book that comes with its own wear-it-and-read-along beard, here is the nutty story of a Beard on the loose and a friendship that will grow on you.
Synopsis
When Baby Billy is born with a mustache, his parents have to figure out if it's a good-guy mustache or a bad-guy mustache in this hilarious picture book comedy!
Synopsis
When Baby Billy is born with a mustache, his family takes it in stride. They are reassured when he nobly saves the day in imaginary-play sessions as a cowboy or cop and his mustache looks good-guy great. But as time passes, their worst fears are confirmed when little Billyand#8217;s mustache starts to curl up at the ends in a suspiciously villainous fashion. Sure enough, and#8220;Billyand#8217;s disreputable mustache led him into a life of dreadful crime.and#8221; Plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor and cartoonish illustrations make this the perfect baby-shower gift for a mustachioed father-to-be.
About the Author
David Schiller is an author of eclectic interests whose books include The Little Zen Companion, All-American Carioke, and The Runaway Beard. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with his wife, three children, and (only) three guitars.Marc Rosenthal has illustrated many children's books, most recently Yo, Aesop: Get a Load of These Fables (Simon and Schuster) and First, Second (Farrar, Straus). His illustrations also appear in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and other national publications. He lives with his family in Lenox, Massachusetts.