Lauren Child teams up with a debut illustrator to tell a cautionary tale about the surprising perils of craving constant attention.Meet the Shrimpton family — so talented, so eccentric, so larger than life, you couldn’t miss them if you wanted to. Mrs. Shrimpton wears flamboyant hats, and Mr. Shrimpton’s moustache makes quite a statement. The youngsters each have a stand-out quality: beauty, dancing, singing, a sense of humor that’s a laugh a minute. Indeed, the Shrimptons live to be noticed — all that is, except Maude, who prefers to blend into the wallpaper. But when Maude receives a ferocious tiger for her birthday instead of the goldfish she asked for, might her talent for blending in come in handy? With stylized artwork evoking both
Vogue magazine and Edward Gorey, here is a story to bring a smile to all the quiet stars among us.
Meet the Shrimpton familyNtalented, eccentric, and larger than life. The Shrimptons live to be noticedNexcept Maude, who prefers to blend into the wallpaper. But when Maude receives a ferocious tiger for her birthday instead of the goldfish she asked for, might her talent for blending in come in handy? Full color.
Child’s razor-sharp humor is in top form, and it’s also a highly auspicious debut for Krauss, whose chic Wes Anderson meets New York Fashion Week aesthetic is as memorable as the Shrimptons themselves.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Stylish... Energetic.
—Kirkus Reviews
This cautionary tale is full of humor (if slightly dark at times) and would greatly enhance a language-arts lesson on descriptive writing. The clever, full-color, full-bleed illustrations incorporate a variety of highly noticeable patterns and text fonts. Maude blends into them well, and discovering where she is in any given picture adds to the fun of the book.
—School Library Journal
Maude ... should strike a chord with any kid who prefers to blend into his or her surroundings. Maude does it quite literally, and the fun for readers is spotting her. ... Those with a taste for black humor will relish Maude’s gift for camouflage — a trait that suddenly seems quite useful
—Booklist Online
