In this groundbreaking tour de force, Caldecott Medalist and bookmaking pioneer Brian Selznick sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey.
Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.
Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories--Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures--weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful--with over 460 pages of original artwork--Wonderstruckis a stunning achievement from a gifted artist and visionary.
Brian Selznick
Brian Selznick's books have garnered countless accolades worldwide, and have been translated into more than 35 languages. He is the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of the #1
New York Times bestsellers
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, adapted into Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning movie
Hugo; and
Wonderstruck, adapted into the eponymous movie by celebrated filmmaker Todd Haynes, with a screenplay by Selznick; as well as the
New York Times bestsellers
The Marvels and
Baby Monkey, Private Eye. Most recently, he illustrated the 20th anniversary paperback edition covers of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.
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- When Ben opened his eyes, he was lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
Something
smelled terrible and burnt. Thankfully the rain had stopped and everything was
silent and peaceful. He could go back to his cousins’ house now.
He wanted
to get up but he felt so tired. The bed, the nightstand and the dresser seemed so
far away, as if Ben were looking at them through the wrong end of his telescope.
In the distance, he saw the blue telephone. It was off the hook and seemed to be
smoldering. Then, through the windows, he saw something that seemed impossible.
He saw rain still pouring down from the sky, streaking hard against the glass. He
saw lightning flash without thunder.
How odd, he thought. The storm hadn’t
stopped. Such quiet rain. It had been so loud before. Where had all the noise gone?
