Letters to Anyone and Everyone

by Toon Tellegen, Jessica Ahlberg (Illustrator)

Overview

Award-winning author Toon Tellegen has written an enchanting collection of short stories, all centered on a series of poetic letters written by his animal protagonists.
 
These fantastic, dreamlike, and even philosophical tales conjure up a world where the creatures of the earth can send mail to the sun (and get an answer); where you can actually write a letter to a letter; and where just writing something down can make it come true. Jessica Ahlberg's alluring artwork captures the unique spirit of these whimsical, charming fables.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781906250959
Publisher:	Boxer Books
Publication date:	01/05/2010
Pages:	156
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Toon Tellegen is one of today's most celebrated writers. His stories are loved by children and parents the world over. He lives in Amsterdam, and loves reading, telling stories, and huge, sweet cakes.
 
Jessica Ahlberg, daughter of the acclaimed author/illustrator team Janet and Allen Ahlberg, likes, among other things, writing letters, looking at maps, reading books, doing DIY, and making cakes.

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 6—In this novel, snails, elephants, bears, and ants write letters to one another, to the Sun, and to other letter writers. They toss them into the breeze, and trust the wind to deliver them to the intended recipients. Through these messages, the animals share their dreams, whimsical musings, and plans. Many of the letters are charmingly humorous, and the animals display their unique personalities and characteristics through them. Every brief missive is written in a distinct voice, and the complete collection reveals Tellegen's richly imagined world in which the creatures reside. The book was originally published in Holland, and Cleaver's smooth English translation retains humor and charm. Easy transitions carry readers from one letter to the next, and the translation captures the poetic essence of this expressive epistolary novel. This book will appeal to readers who appreciate dreamy stories and creative narrative forms. While written at a basic reading level, the text conveys complex humor and wit, making this book ideal for readers of all ages.—Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI

School Library Journal

In a set of surreal, mostly epistolary vignettes, Elephant begs permission to stand on Snail's house (Snail politely declines), Crow writes a gloomy letter to Sparrow and gets a heartening response, Carp pens a prayer addressed: "Dear Stranger," Squirrel writes to his table and also to the very letter he's writing and on the last day of the year all of the animals get together to send a "cordial begging letter" to the sun, who answers "See you soon." It's hard to know what young readers will make of these and the other dozen or so exchanges; the prose has an introspective, dreamlike quality, but unlike Tellegen's Squirrel's Birthday and Other Parties (2009), there's no clear linking theme to compensate for the lack of a plot arc or line, and the characters are etched in low relief at best. The author has been popular in the Netherlands for many years, but this outing is unlikely to extend the borders of his fan base. Illustrations not seen. (Belles lettres. 9-11)

Kirkus Reviews