The Arguers

Illustrated by Corinna Luyken
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
| $24.99 CAN
On sale May 27, 2025 | 40 Pages | 9781984814425
Age 4-8 years | Preschool - 3
Reading Level: Lexile 750L | Fountas & Pinnell M

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A delightfully preposterous and original fairy tale about a community that forgets how to get along, by the celebrated creator of The Book of Mistakes

The first argument was over a brush and a comb, and which would be better for taking a tangle out of the king's beard. Next came the argument over letters, and then over spoons . . . and soon they argued all the time, and no one could remember when the arguing had started or over what or by whom. They only knew that they had always argued, and that they did it well. Very, very well.

And so it was that the king and queen decided to hold a contest to choose the very best arguer in the land. But what will happen when everyone is so busy arguing that they can't even hear the queen announce the start of the contest?
"Luyken’s storytelling charms with whimsy and dry wit, and her illustrations steal the show with
enormous, elaborate hairstyles, bedecked in bows or crowned with oversize hats. The over-the-top
Regency styling, paired with a multiracial cast of characters, delights with Bridgerton-esque appeal.
Thoroughly enchanting, without argument." —Kirkus

"Elegant, classic fairy tale tone, watercolor, ink, pencil, and gouache drawings combine the prickly energy of Ralph Steadman with the swooping lines of art nouveau style." —Publishers Weekly

"There's an other worldly delight to the strange world Luyken has crafted, made wondrous by the vivid, fine-lined illustrations depicting countless arguers in a wonderful sort of Victorian circus fashion, all topped with long, extravagantly styled hairdos. This is art that can be pored over time and time again, and young readers will jump at the chance to argue themselves, prompted or not.
Strangely beautiful." —Booklist
© Corinna Luyken
Corinna Luyken is the author-illustrator of Abc and You and Me; The Tree in Me (an NCTE Notable Poetry Book and Indie Bestseller); My Heart (A New York Times Best Seller); and The Book of Mistakes (which The Wall Street Journal called “sublime”). She is also the illustrator of In the Dark (Aug 2023) and Nothing in Common, both written by Kate Hoefler; Patchwork (A New York Times and Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2022), written by Matt de la Peña; Something Good and Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse, both written by Marcy Campbell; and Weird Little Robots, written by Carolyn Crimi. She was raised in Oregon, California, and Hawaii; and studied dance improvisation, poetry, and printmaking at Middlebury College in Vermont. She now lives in Western Washington, near the Salish Sea, where she also likes to dig in the dirt, surf, and read with a cat (or two) on her lap. View titles by Corinna Luyken
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About

A delightfully preposterous and original fairy tale about a community that forgets how to get along, by the celebrated creator of The Book of Mistakes

The first argument was over a brush and a comb, and which would be better for taking a tangle out of the king's beard. Next came the argument over letters, and then over spoons . . . and soon they argued all the time, and no one could remember when the arguing had started or over what or by whom. They only knew that they had always argued, and that they did it well. Very, very well.

And so it was that the king and queen decided to hold a contest to choose the very best arguer in the land. But what will happen when everyone is so busy arguing that they can't even hear the queen announce the start of the contest?

Reviews

"Luyken’s storytelling charms with whimsy and dry wit, and her illustrations steal the show with
enormous, elaborate hairstyles, bedecked in bows or crowned with oversize hats. The over-the-top
Regency styling, paired with a multiracial cast of characters, delights with Bridgerton-esque appeal.
Thoroughly enchanting, without argument." —Kirkus

"Elegant, classic fairy tale tone, watercolor, ink, pencil, and gouache drawings combine the prickly energy of Ralph Steadman with the swooping lines of art nouveau style." —Publishers Weekly

"There's an other worldly delight to the strange world Luyken has crafted, made wondrous by the vivid, fine-lined illustrations depicting countless arguers in a wonderful sort of Victorian circus fashion, all topped with long, extravagantly styled hairdos. This is art that can be pored over time and time again, and young readers will jump at the chance to argue themselves, prompted or not.
Strangely beautiful." —Booklist

Author

© Corinna Luyken
Corinna Luyken is the author-illustrator of Abc and You and Me; The Tree in Me (an NCTE Notable Poetry Book and Indie Bestseller); My Heart (A New York Times Best Seller); and The Book of Mistakes (which The Wall Street Journal called “sublime”). She is also the illustrator of In the Dark (Aug 2023) and Nothing in Common, both written by Kate Hoefler; Patchwork (A New York Times and Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2022), written by Matt de la Peña; Something Good and Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse, both written by Marcy Campbell; and Weird Little Robots, written by Carolyn Crimi. She was raised in Oregon, California, and Hawaii; and studied dance improvisation, poetry, and printmaking at Middlebury College in Vermont. She now lives in Western Washington, near the Salish Sea, where she also likes to dig in the dirt, surf, and read with a cat (or two) on her lap. View titles by Corinna Luyken

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