The Wonderful O facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | James Thurber |
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| Illustrator | Marc Simont |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
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Publication date
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1957 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 72 |
The Wonderful O is a fun fairy tale written by James Thurber. It was published in 1957 and is one of his last short books for children. This story is packed with clever word games and funny situations. It explores big ideas like what happens when you lose something important, how love can help, and what it means to be free.
Contents
Discovering The Wonderful O
The Wonderful O is a unique story that uses a special writing trick. It's known for its funny and smart way of playing with words. The book also has a rhythm to its sentences, almost like poetry. It even includes jokes and references to old stories, like those about traveling singers called minstrels.
A Story Without 'O'
The book uses a special writing style called a lipogram. This means the author tries to write parts of the story without using a certain letter. In The Wonderful O, the bad guys demand that the letter 'O' be removed from all words. This makes for a very funny and challenging story for the characters!
Meet the Author and Illustrator
James Thurber wrote The Wonderful O. He was a famous American writer and cartoonist. This book was one of several he wrote that were illustrated by his friend, Marc Simont. Marc Simont helped bring Thurber's stories to life with his drawings. He did this especially after Thurber started to lose his eyesight in the 1950s.
Different Editions of the Book
The first edition of The Wonderful O came out in 1957. Later, in 2009, The New York Review Children's Collection reprinted the book. This new version kept the original drawings by Marc Simont. For the Puffin Books edition in 1962, The Wonderful O was printed together with another of Thurber's stories, The 13 Clocks. Both of these stories in that edition were illustrated by Ronald Searle.
