The 11th HOUR Graeme Base HC SUPERB artwork Pics

the   ELEVENTH hOur

A Curious Mystery
by Graeme Base

Copyright: © Doublebase Pty Ltd  1988

ISBN: 0670831565

Binding: Hardcover

Publisher: Viking Kestrel Penguin Books, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia

Published: 1988

Edition: First Edition: Later impression

Measures: 12½"   x   9½" (approx)

***    AUSSIE BUYERS: PAYMENT..  If   you can pay Bank Deposit   I’d really appreciate it! HEAVY BOOK  Postage within Australia   is $10.20

Synopsis

When Horace the elephant turns eleven, he celebrates in style by inviting his exotic friends to a splendid costume party. But a mystery is afoot, for in the midst of the games, music, and revelry, someone has eaten the birthday feast. The rhyming text and lavish, detailed illustrations each provide clues, and it's up to the reader to piece them together and decide whodunit! "The fun of poring over the pictures is matched by the enjoyment derived from the textwitty, ingenious verses."  

Graeme Base is the author of many award-winning books for children, including “Animalia”,  “The Sign of the Seahorse”, and moRE recently, “The Discovery of Dragons”.

Annotation

When the special feast that was to be eaten at the elephant's eleventh birthday party is stolen, the reader is invited to guess the identity of the thief.

Publishers Weekly

As in Base's ‘Animalia’, his lush, intricately detailed illustrations in ‘The Eleventh Hour’ comprise a sort of visual hide-and-seek. Here, the stakes are clues to the solution of a mystery: Who has surreptitiously eaten the feast prepared for Horace the Elephant's 11th birthday party? The culprit could be any of a number of exotically costumed animal guests, from a pig dressed as an admiral to a pair of giraffes in tutus to a zebra gone punk. The fun of poring over the pictures for hidden messages and significant particulars is, happily, matched by the enjoyment derived from the text--witty, ingenious verses that ably skirt the singsong or mundane. It will take an exceptionally persistent sleuth to deduce the thief's identity; many readers may resort to breaking the seal to the ``top secret'' solution. Thus enlightened, those returning to the scenes of the crime may still find some clues difficult to discern; in particular, the large number of concealed ``mice'' are almost impossible to make out. But it is, as Base points out, the thrill of the chase that matters most; and on this count the work scores high marks. All ages.

Description of THIS COPY:

Published by Viking, Melbourne, Australia, in 1988, a later Impression. A large Laminated Pictorial Boards HB, glossy pictorial boards. Pages are not numbered but there’s 32 pages of THE MOST SUPERALATIVE illustrations in full colour. Minor rubbing to edges of covers, inside is square, clean, tight & unmarked, NO DOGEARS, tears smudges. The only minor blemish is a subtel crease to one page - illustrations are so detailed you can see it easily. Top Secret solution section neat but opened. This is my teacher copy which has been handled by me when reading aloud to the grade......

                                      A G♥RGE♥US  B♥♥K!!.

The vibrantly illustrated puzzles both in words and pictures for the intelligent young reader. By the Author of 'Animalia'

REVIEWS...

Fantastic, even if it impossible to complete ....I remember attempting this when I was in primary school and not coming even remotely near to getting it completed. Even as an adult I got many of the clues in a day of constent studying but having missed a few, still couldn't figure it out. But I find that to be half the fun, its almost impossible to complete but you just want to keep trying. Not for the faint hearted, really, but I would buy it for more mature kids because it is so intellectually challenging and riveting it provides them with a taster that deducing can be fun, which will be needed for keeping them in school later in life, lets be honest.

I remember being facinated that it was overtly for children (the pictures and wording) but it was so difficult, I felt almost flattered that adults would thing us kids would be capable of figuring out such a puzzle, which made me want to do it more. Lets be honest, if the kids are being entertained, does it matter whether or not they can complete it, really? I don't think that is the aim of the book, anyway. 

 Marvelous picturers  .............. Having been bewitched by ANIMALIA  by the AAME AUTHOR  this was a must have for another young relative, greatly enjoyed by me before passing on when the birthday arrived.

A lavish read with spectacular pictures and a mystery with more layers than your average baklava  ......... A family friend gave this book to me back in 1988 when I was 8 years old. I have treasured it ever since. The charming rhyming story is the least of it's merits. The lavish and incredibly detailed pictures will have you staring for hours. The mysterious disappearance of the birthday feast is the largest of numerous smaller intrigues. In short it is a marvellous picture-book with a cute story which will appeal to the smallest of children but with enough "other stuff" to keep this one in your stack of favourites for life.

XMAS IS COMING !! XMAS  IS  COMING !! XMAS IS COMING!!

~ ~    IN   EXCELLENT CONDITION!  ~ ~

Very  hard  to   FIND !

My slideshow is of the ACTUAL copy I'm selling  AND FORMS PART OF MY DESCRIPTION   so judge for yourself. Ask any questions... just email.

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