The Shrinking of Treehorn – Florence Parry Heide and Edward Gorey
The Shrinking of Treehorn by Florence Parry Heide and Edward Gorey / ISBN 9780823447039 / small 80-page hardcover published by Holiday House [also available as part of a boxset]
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“If you want to pretend you’re shrinking, that’s all right,” said Treehorn’s mother, “as long as you don’t do it at the table.”
No one around seems to appreciate what Treehorn’s going through, when he starts shrinking after playing a strange board game. His parents are busy, his friends laugh at him, and he even gets sent to the Principal’s office for shrinking. Or was it shirking?
Clearly, the adults in his life have no clue and can’t help. In the end, Treehorn figures it out on his own, and all is well. . . . At least until he turns green.
This oddly offbeat, surreal, and funny story is illustrated with Edward Gorey’s signature pen and ink drawings. It will appeal to any kid who feels they’re not truly seen or heard by the grown-ups in their life. Works for adults, too.
This 50th Anniversary edition includes an appreciation from Caldecott Honoree Lane Smith, illustrator of The Stinky Cheese Man.
Artist and author Edward Gorey (American, 1925ā2000) is beloved for the boundless imagination and sharp humor exhibited in his more than 100 published works. Gorey was also a set and costume designer for innumerable theater productions, including a staging of Bram Stokerās Dracula, for which he won a Tony. He had a profound affection for literature, film, ballet, and animals. Cats and other odd creatures appear in many of his crosshatched illustrations. His humorously unsettling drawings of vaguely Victorian innocents facing unfortunate ends became familiar to a wide audience after appearing in the opening credits of the PBS television series Mystery! Goreyās Cape Cod home, a veritable cabinet of curiosities, is now a museum celebrating his life and work.
