" 'Another gray day,' says Turpin, the taxi driver."
Wordless books are quite the amazing genre! I think they are a perfect way to get our new students from other cultures and countries 'reading' the same stories as their classmates. Stories without words are the same in every language. This book has one line of text and you have already read it!
Following that introduction, we are drawn into Turpin's story through a series of continuing events. Turpin is a mouse, feisty and independent. His first fare of the day is safely at her destination when Turpin is flagged down by a mysterious stranger dressed in black, but for his red scarf. As he departs, Turpin discovers that he has left his scarf on the back seat of the taxi. Repeated calls to his fare
get no response and the man in black disappears into a circus tent. Turpin is not allowed inside until he has explained his presence, and shown the lost scarf. What follows is a series of adventures that will have 'readers' totally engrossed. No words need be said, or written. The pictures tell the tale.
Occasionally catching a glimpse of his quarry, Turpin displays persistence and patience as he tries desperately to return what is not his. He becomes concerned when the spotlight makes him an unwilling partner in the circus mayhem. From one catastrophic event to the next he follows the scarf, always keeping his purpose in mind...to get the scarf to its rightful owner. What fun! His discovery of the magical prowess of the mysterious man in black is the almost perfect ending. Keen observers of the action will be forewarned of the final image...a frantic lizard trying to flag down a fast departing taxi, with a taxi cap in hand!
The illustrations are worthy of the many awards bestowed and I am thankful that Tundra has published this wonderful book for an English language audience! The never ending pursuit and the frantic pace move this story along to its humorous and oh, so truly perfect conclusion. I am certainly encouraged to look much more closely at Anne Villeneuve's other works. Bravo!
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