The Rock from the Sky

There's a full 96 pages of dry, sly Klassen goodness in this book of five connected stories about Turtle, Armadillo, and Snake hilariously contemplating the uncertainties of the universe. For those who can't get enough of Jon Klassen (raises hand), this book is a deadpan dream. Recommended By Gigi L., Powells.com

Look up From the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of the Hat Trilogy comes a new deadpan gem.

There is a spot.
It is a good spot.
It is the perfect spot to stand.
There is no reason to ever leave.
But somewhere above there is also a rock.
A rock from the sky.

Here comes The Rock from the Sky, a hilarious meditation on the workings of friendship, fate, shared futuristic visions, and that funny feeling you get that there's something off somewhere, but you just can't put your finger on it. Merging broad visual suspense with wry wit, celebrated picture book creator Jon Klassen gives us a wholly original comedy for the ages.

"In this collection of five connected short stories, clocking in at over ninety pages and composed solely of dialogue, Klassen introduces readers to a turtle, an armadillo, and a snake — all in hats, of course...Throughout, Klassen's characteristically deadpan humor refuses to patronize readers; he lets them in on the joke, as always, putting them one step ahead of the protagonists. Smart, funny, and offbeat, this is quintessential Klassen." The Horn Book (starred review)

"The most gratifying feature of this new offering by Caldecott Medalist Klassen is that there's so much of it — 96 pages of dark, Beckett-caliber comedy... In this pleasurable volume that's just right for uncertain times, Klassen proves himself a top-notch student of the way that conscious beings seek to take charge of their own realities — efforts that nearly always fail and, in this world, are sometimes punctuated by falling rocks." Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"If Samuel Beckett had written an early reader, it might look something like this one... Klassen's animals react to their seemingly absurd — but never tragic — universe with characteristically subtle, humorous postures and eye maneuvers. The weirdness of it all exerts its own attractive force, drawing readers back to it to wonder and ponder... Waiting for Godot imagined for the playground population's sensibilities." Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Jon Klassen is the author-illustrator of I Want My Hat Back, an E. B. White Read-Aloud Award winner and a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book; This Is Not My Hat, winner of the Caldecott Medal and the Kate Greenaway Medal; and We Found a Hat. He is also the illustrator of two Caldecott Honor Books, Sam and Dave Dig a Hole and Extra Yarn, both written by Mac Barnett. Jon Klassen lives in Los Angeles.