Thing-Thing was neither a Teddy bear nor a rabbit; not a stuffed dog or cat. It was something like each of those, and nothing at all you could name. But it had something special. It had the hope that one day it would find a child to love it and talk to it and make it tea parties and take it to bed. A child it could love back.
Certainly Archibald Crimp was not that child. He had just thrown Thing-Thing out the open sixth-floor window of the Excelsior Hotel.
Oh, dear, thought Thing-Thing to itself. This is bad, this is very bad.
Cary Fagan and Nicolas Debon have created a story so rich in words and images that, despite taking place in a matter of seconds, Thing-Thing will be remembered as vividly as a child’s favorite toy.
“Fagan’s story, and its serendipitous end, will please those on laps or large groups: Debon’s vertiginous cityscapes, with wildly varying perspectives and orientations supported by a leaping, swirling typeface, are just as good a match to the text as Thing-Thing and its new owner.” — Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
“…a beautifully rendered and wickedly imaginative tale of an unwanted toy, is the best of a strong bunch. Never has falling out of a building been made to seem so heartbreaking – and yet so fun to read about.” — Books of the Year, Quill & Quire
“The toy named Thing-Thing – is the hilarious heart of this delectable picture book.” — Top 10 for 2008, The Globe and Mail
CARY FAGAN's numerous kids' books include The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster, which was a JLG selection, the Kaspar Snit novels, the Wolfie & Fly chapter books, and the picture books Water, Water, Little Blue Chair, What Are You Doing, Benny?, King Mouse, which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award, and Bear Wants to Sing. Mr. Zinger's Hat, another of his picture books, was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He has also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. Cary was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family.
View titles by Cary Fagan
Tundra author Nicolas Debon was born and educated in France. He came to work for the French consulate in Toronto, stayed for ten years before returning to his homeland, and was granted Canadian citizenship. An illustration course opened new doors for him and his first picture book, A Brave Soldier was published in 1999. Since then, he has illustrated several books for European and North American publishers and has twice been nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award. His graphic novel, The Strongest Man in the World, won the 2007 Boston Globe Horn Book Award for children’s nonfiction.
View titles by Nicolas Debon
Thing-Thing was neither a Teddy bear nor a rabbit; not a stuffed dog or cat. It was something like each of those, and nothing at all you could name. But it had something special. It had the hope that one day it would find a child to love it and talk to it and make it tea parties and take it to bed. A child it could love back.
Certainly Archibald Crimp was not that child. He had just thrown Thing-Thing out the open sixth-floor window of the Excelsior Hotel.
Oh, dear, thought Thing-Thing to itself. This is bad, this is very bad.
Cary Fagan and Nicolas Debon have created a story so rich in words and images that, despite taking place in a matter of seconds, Thing-Thing will be remembered as vividly as a child’s favorite toy.
Reviews
“Fagan’s story, and its serendipitous end, will please those on laps or large groups: Debon’s vertiginous cityscapes, with wildly varying perspectives and orientations supported by a leaping, swirling typeface, are just as good a match to the text as Thing-Thing and its new owner.” — Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
“…a beautifully rendered and wickedly imaginative tale of an unwanted toy, is the best of a strong bunch. Never has falling out of a building been made to seem so heartbreaking – and yet so fun to read about.” — Books of the Year, Quill & Quire
“The toy named Thing-Thing – is the hilarious heart of this delectable picture book.” — Top 10 for 2008, The Globe and Mail
CARY FAGAN's numerous kids' books include The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster, which was a JLG selection, the Kaspar Snit novels, the Wolfie & Fly chapter books, and the picture books Water, Water, Little Blue Chair, What Are You Doing, Benny?, King Mouse, which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award, and Bear Wants to Sing. Mr. Zinger's Hat, another of his picture books, was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He has also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. Cary was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family.
View titles by Cary Fagan
Tundra author Nicolas Debon was born and educated in France. He came to work for the French consulate in Toronto, stayed for ten years before returning to his homeland, and was granted Canadian citizenship. An illustration course opened new doors for him and his first picture book, A Brave Soldier was published in 1999. Since then, he has illustrated several books for European and North American publishers and has twice been nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award. His graphic novel, The Strongest Man in the World, won the 2007 Boston Globe Horn Book Award for children’s nonfiction.
View titles by Nicolas Debon
