The Emperor of Absurdia

Chris Riddell (author/illustrator)

Macmillan, UK: 2006

ISBN: 9781405090285

Genres: fantasy, picture book, surrealism

Silver winner of Nestle Children's Book Prize, 2006. Surely designed to stretch readers' imaginations, this is a fantastic gift for any unusual child of your acquaintance.

The Emperor of Absurdia goes on a dragon hunt. "He looked in the flower beds and up the umbrella trees. He looked under the pillow hills and over the bouncy mountains." It is difficult to summarise this story other than as a series of serendipitous adventures which takes place in a dreamlike setting but it is a thoroughly charming and entertaining reading experience.

Detailed, whimsical, cartoon-like pen and wash illustrations capture the quirky characters that people this surreal story. Children - and adults - will delight in the silly ideas of this upside down world and the playful language of the story, which works best when read aloud.