Believing wholeheartedly that children preferred food to fairies, Norman Lindsay concocted a recipe for success that has lingered for ninety years. Here are the adventures of Sam Sawnoff, Barnacle Bill and Albert, the cut-and-come again pudding who requires 'politeness and constant eatin'.' This beautifully designed new edition of a perennial favourite also includes a section, From the Publisher's Archives, containing a fascinating collection of correspondence between Norman Lindsay and his publishers, Angus & Robertson. The letters have come from the A & R Archives held in the Mitchell Library and were selected with the assistance of Lindsay's granddaughter, Helen Glad, who also wrote a short biography of him especially for this book.
"'Albert, Albert, ' said Bill to the Puddin', 'where's your manners? Where's yours?' said the Puddin' rudely, 'guzzling away there and never so much as offering this stranger a slice.'"
"This is the funniest children's book ever written. I've been laughing at it for fifty years, and when I read it again this morning, I laughed as much as I ever did."
-- Philip Pullman, from the introduction
"A robust fantasy, The Magic Pudding was first published in 1918 but shows few signs of its age. It's part of a handsome, new collection of reprints, published by The New York Review of Books, aimed at rescuing neglected children's classics from 'the dustbins of history'. There's no dust on Lindsay's quirky tale about the adventures of Bunyip Bluegum, an irrepressible, polite young koala. He meets various eccentric characters who bust into song and rhyme. In the introduction to the new edition, Philip Pullman, author of "The Amber Spyglass," calls Lindsay's work 'the funniest children's book ever written...You can feel Lindsay carried away on the wings of his own energy'."
-- "USA Today," "Holiday Books"
"The illustrations are great fun, the characters burst into comic verse at the drop of a hat, and it's hard to resist."
-- "The Horn Book"
"The book is full of songs that pitch along like boats on a rough sea. The tremendous black and white drawings are full of ne'er do well character...It is an outrage that it is not on every English family's menu."
-- "The Observer"
"This is the funniest children s book ever written. I ve been laughing at it for fifty years, and when I read it again this morning, I laughed as much as I ever did."
Philip Pullman, from the introduction
"A robust fantasy, The Magic Pudding was first published in 1918 but shows few signs of its age. It s part of a handsome, new collection of reprints, published by The New York Review of Books, aimed at rescuing neglected children s classics from 'the dustbins of history'. There s no dust on Lindsay s quirky tale about the adventures of Bunyip Bluegum, an irrepressible, polite young koala. He meets various eccentric characters who bust into song and rhyme. In the introduction to the new edition, Philip Pullman, author of "The Amber Spyglass," calls Lindsay s work 'the funniest children s book ever written You can feel Lindsay carried away on the wings of his own energy'.
"USA Today," Holiday Books
"The illustrations are great fun, the characters burst into comic verse at the drop of a hat, and it s hard to resist."
"The Horn Book"
"The book is full of songs that pitch along like boats on a rough sea. The tremendous black and white drawings are full of ne er do well character It is an outrage that it is not on every English family s menu."
"The Observer""
"I think it s the funniest children s book ever written. One of the great strengths of the book is its illustration, by Lindsay himself. He was best known as a visual artist, producing thousands of paintings, etchings, drawings, and sculptures, but his pictures for
The Magic Puddingare his best work, in my view. They are so vigorous and absurd, so strongly characterized and brilliantly detailed, that my eye delights in them still. Philip Pullman on his favorite children s book
, Publishers Weekly, December 2015
The Magic Pudding . .. is one of my all-time favourite children s books an unmissable read for anyone who has not already encountered it The New York Review s Children s collection is full of such choice reprints that I would gladly have every one of their publications on my shelves. Kate Kellaway,
The Guardian (UK)
"A robust fantasy, The Magic Pudding was first published in 1918 but shows few signs of its age. It s part of a handsome, new collection of reprints, published by The New York Review of Books, aimed at rescuing neglected children s classics from 'the dustbins of history'. There s no dust on Lindsay s quirky tale about the adventures of Bunyip Bluegum, an irrepressible, polite young koala. He meets various eccentric characters who bust into song and rhyme. In the introduction to the new edition, Philip Pullman, author of
The Amber Spyglass, calls Lindsay s work 'the funniest children s book ever written You can feel Lindsay carried away on the wings of his own energy'.
USA Today, Holiday Books
Philip Pullman s favourite book satirical, wise and brilliantly illustrated by Lindsay
The Sunday Times (UK) "The illustrations are great fun, the characters burst into comic verse at the drop of a hat, and it s hard to resist."
The Horn Book "The book is full of songs that pitch along like boats on a rough sea. The tremendous black and white drawings are full of ne er do well character It is an outrage that it is not on every English family s menu."
The Observer"
-I think it's the funniest children's book ever written. One of the great strengths of the book is its illustration, by Lindsay himself. He was best known as a visual artist, producing thousands of paintings, etchings, drawings, and sculptures, but his pictures for
The Magic Pudding are his best work, in my view. They are so vigorous and absurd, so strongly characterized and brilliantly detailed, that my eye delights in them still.--- Philip Pullman on his favorite children's book
, Publishers Weekly, December 2015
-
The Magic Pudding . .. is one of my all-time favourite children's books - an unmissable read for anyone who has not already encountered it ... The New York Review's Children's collection is full of such choice reprints that I would gladly have every one of their publications on my shelves.- --Kate Kellaway,
The Guardian (UK)
-A robust fantasy, The Magic Pudding was first published in 1918 but shows few signs of its age. It's part of a handsome, new collection of reprints, published by The New York Review of Books, aimed at rescuing neglected children's classics from 'the dustbins of history'. There's no dust on Lindsay's quirky tale about the adventures of Bunyip Bluegum, an irrepressible, polite young koala. He meets various eccentric characters who bust into song and rhyme. In the introduction to the new edition, Philip Pullman, author of
The Amber Spyglass, calls Lindsay's work 'the funniest children's book ever written...You can feel Lindsay carried away on the wings of his own energy'.-
--
USA Today, -Holiday Books-
-Philip Pullman's favourite book ... satirical, wise and brilliantly illustrated by Lindsay- --
The Sunday Times (UK) -The illustrations are great fun, the characters burst into comic verse at the drop of a hat, and it's hard to resist.-
--
The Horn Book -The book is full of songs that pitch along like boats on a rough sea. The tremendous black and white drawings are full of ne'er do well character...It is an outrage that it is not on every English family's menu.-
--
The Observer"I think it's the funniest children's book ever written. One of the great strengths of the book is its illustration, by Lindsay himself. He was best known as a visual artist, producing thousands of paintings, etchings, drawings, and sculptures, but his pictures for
The Magic Pudding are his best work, in my view. They are so vigorous and absurd, so strongly characterized and brilliantly detailed, that my eye delights in them still."-- Philip Pullman on his favorite children's book
, Publishers Weekly, December 2015
"
The Magic Pudding . .. is one of my all-time favourite children's books - an unmissable read for anyone who has not already encountered it ... The New York Review's Children's collection is full of such choice reprints that I would gladly have every one of their publications on my shelves." --Kate Kellaway,
The Guardian (UK)
"A robust fantasy, The Magic Pudding was first published in 1918 but shows few signs of its age. It's part of a handsome, new collection of reprints, published by The New York Review of Books, aimed at rescuing neglected children's classics from 'the dustbins of history'. There's no dust on Lindsay's quirky tale about the adventures of Bunyip Bluegum, an irrepressible, polite young koala. He meets various eccentric characters who bust into song and rhyme. In the introduction to the new edition, Philip Pullman, author of
The Amber Spyglass, calls Lindsay's work 'the funniest children's book ever written...You can feel Lindsay carried away on the wings of his own energy'."
--
USA Today, "Holiday Books"
"Philip Pullman's favourite book ... satirical, wise and brilliantly illustrated by Lindsay" --
The Sunday Times (UK) "The illustrations are great fun, the characters burst into comic verse at the drop of a hat, and it's hard to resist."
--
The Horn Book "The book is full of songs that pitch along like boats on a rough sea. The tremendous black and white drawings are full of ne'er do well character...It is an outrage that it is not on every English family's menu."
--
The Observer
