Munchausen is the father of all fantastic liars, and as such, he is part magician and entertainer and part scoundrel—but a charming one, of course! Here, in simple language, Heinz Janisch retells the best-known Munchausen stories with humor and playfulness, making for a lighter and more whimsical presentation than usual. These retellings are mixed with never-before-heard adventures that were supposedly found only recently among the long-lost possessions of the well-known Baron of Lies. Could it be that new Munchausen material only recently came to light? Or might Janisch be playing with us, weaving more magic and mischief into Munchausen as he goes along, compounding the tallness of these already tall tales? Only Janisch knows for sure, but it hardly matters, given the thrill and pleasure of the stories he has to relate. Aljoscha Blau illustrates Munchausen's fabulous journeys and exciting adventures with gorgeous imaginative pictures that are sure to entrance both children and adults.
Heinz Janisch was born in Austria in 1960 and studied German literature in Vienna. He has published numerous books, including many children's titles, which have been translated into more than twelve languages. He was nominated for the 2009 Lindgren Memorial Award and has been nominated for the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Award. In 2008 he received the Austrian picture book award. He lives in Vienna.
Aljoscha Blau was born in 1972 in St. Petersburg and has been living in Germany since 1990. He studied art in Hamburg, has received several awards, and has exhibited his works in Paris, New York, Hamburg, and Bologna. He lives in Berlin with his wife and two children.
A gorgeous collection of Munchausen tales by an award-winning master storyteller and an enormously talented illustrator.
LMC Library Media Connection Starred Review
"Children with a romantic streak will be taken both with the Baron and his courtly fictions and by Blau's misty, stately portraits." -Publishers Weekly
"Each quick tale is told in a merry, unadorned fashion on one page, faced by an off-kilter painting by Blau on the other. Well matched to the stories, the scenes feature a jaunty Munchausen stoically going about his outrageous feats in dreamlike compositions that own much to the spacious weirdness of Dali." -Booklist
"These lighthearted, fantastical tales are greatly magnified in their imaginative impact by the delicate, mysterious illustrations, all with more than a touch of whimsey. [...] The Fantastic Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a collections sure to delight and mystify children of all ages, along with their parents and teachers." -The Midwest Book Review
"This newest picture book version captures these delightfully fantastical stories with illustrations which will ignite the imagination. [...] These stories are an important component of children's literature which no library should be without; many will be wise to update the aging collections on their shelves with this one to make the stories more accessible to current readers." -curledupkids.com
"These European stories will add a new dimension to your instruction on exaggeration and tall tales." -Gail Dent, Tucson Unified School District
