The Three Robbers - Hardcover

Ungerer, Tomi

4.18

1,550 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0714848778 ISBN 13: 9780714848778

Publisher: Phaidon Press, 2009

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Written and illustrated by one of the world's most acclaimed and award-winning children's authors, The Three Robbers is a timeless tale of mystery and suspense for 4-8 year olds, in which three ferocious thieves are defeated by the guileless logic of an innocent girl.

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Review:

"Watch the children, the subversive is back."―New York Times

"Tomi Ungerer has been proving the pen is mightier than the sword for six decades... [A] style marked by great originality of illustrative technique, and a use of language that refused to patronise his young readers."―Dazed & Confused

"His work was dark, wild, sometimes frightening. Maurice Sendak, a friend of Ungerer's, thought him the most original children's book writer of his time."―Sunday Telegraph

"Has delighted children around the world with his scarily enchanting style."―The Independent

"Phaidon Press [...] are in the process of bringing Tomi back into print with a distinction all of their own. In a reprint programme which is being carried out with careful attention to all aspects of printing and design, they have already given us excellent editions of The Three Robbers, Moon Man, Adelaide, the Flying Kangaroo and a handsomely revised and expanded edition of Far Out Isn't Far Enough, while last year they published the first edition in English of Otto."―Books for Keeps

"Maurice Sendak described Ungerer's work as passionate and personal - it's marvellous and it's cuckoo and it's that kind of veracity that's always made for good children's literature"―The New York Times, Outside In, Inside Out

"You can see his work repeated by lots of illustrators, it's just so strong and graphically interesting, as in The Three Robbers. His images attract both adults and children and I can see the pictures without remembering the titles. It's art - illustration at the highest level."―The Times

"Good news for children and fans of illustration alike... This story of three black-hatted, cape-wearing thieves and their unexpected encounter with a little orphan girl has lost none of its charm. It's all inky shadows and night-sky blues, making for a refreshingly dark tale for youngsters... Robbing loot has never looked like so much fun."―Creative Review

"Dark and delightful."―Grafik

"Tomi Ungerer is highly original. This is a famous book, illustrated in a bold, simple graphic style. The robbers steal a girl called Tiffany, who asks them what they want to do with the money they've accumulated. Suddenly, as if by a miracle, they become good." ―Axel Scheffler, author of The Gruffalo, The Times, Saturday Review

Synopsis:

Hailed by the "New York Times Book Review" as 'one of the most brilliant illustrators at work today', Tomi Ungerer has been making beautiful, anarchic and unique books for children for more than 40 years. He has been described by the "Guardian" as 'the direct natural descendant of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen' and, like all the best fairy tales, his classic story of "The Three Robbers" is by turns scary, charming and surprising.The book tells the story of three fierce black-clad robbers who terrorize the countryside, scaring everyone they meet. One robber stops carriage horses with his pepper spray, the second destroys the wheels of the carriage with his axe, and the third robs the passengers by holding them up with his blunderbuss. One day the robbers stop a carriage only to find a small orphan girl called Tiffany inside. On her way to live with a strange aunt, Tiffany is delighted to meet the robbers, who take her back to their cave instead of their usual haul of money, gold and jewels. The next day, Tiffany sees the treasures the robbers have amassed and asks what they plan to do with their riches.The men are baffled, as they had never thought about spending their money.

So they decide to buy a castle and welcome all the lost, unhappy and abandoned children they can find. The robbers dress them in tall hats and long capes, just like the ones they wear themselves, only in red instead of black. Years later, when they are grown up, the children build a village near the castle, full of people wearing red hats and red capes. They also build three tall towers, in honour of the three robbers. First published in 1962, "The Three Robbers" has been translated into 16 languages, but has been unavailable in English for years. Now, this beautifully woven sequence of entertaining text and colourful eye-catching illustrations is back to delight children aged 4-8 and above.

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