Synopsis
The Phantom Tollbooth is a universally beloved childhood classic. In the 50 years since its original publication, millions of children have breathlessly followed Milo's adventures in the Lands Beyond.
Now Leonard Marcus, a nationally acclaimed writer on children's literature, has created a richly annotated edition of this perennial favorite. Marcus's expansive annotations include interviews with the author and illustrator, illuminating excerpts from Juster's notes and drafts, cultural and literary commentary, and Marcus's own insights on the book. The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth also includes an introduction that shares the fascinating background on the book's publication—Juster and Feiffer met as young neighbors in Brooklyn, New York, and thus began a fortuitious collaboration on a project that would become an instant classic—as well as its enduring place in the world of children's literature.
The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth is the perfect way to honor a classic and will be welcomed by young readers and fans of all ages.
About Norton Juster
Norton Juster is an architect and planner, professor emeritus of design at Hampshire College, and the author of a number of highly acclaimed children's books, including
The Dot and the Line, which was made into an Academy Award-winning animated film. He has collaborated with Sheldon Harnick on the libretto for an opera based on
The Phantom Tollbooth. The musical adaptation, with a score by Arnold Black, premiered in 1995 and will soon be performed in schools and theaters nationwide. An amateur cook and professional eater, Mr. Juster lives with his wife in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Jules Feiffer is the author of two books for young readers, The Man in the Ceiling and A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears. He has won a number of prizes for his cartoons, plays, and screenplays. Mr. Feiffer lives in New York City.
About Jules Feiffer
Photo © Seth Kushner Photography
JULES FEIFFER's Pulitzer-winning comic strip ran for forty-two years in the
Village Voice and one hundred other papers
. He is the author of a wide range of additional creative work, including the Obie Award-winning play
Little Murders, the screenplay for
Carnal Knowledge, and the Oscar-winning short animation,
Munro. Other works include the plays
Knock Knock (a Tony award nominee) and
Grown-Ups; the novels
Harry, the Rat with Women and
Ackroyd; the screenplays
Popeye and
I Want to Go Home (winner of the best screenplay award at the Venice Film Festival); and the children's books T
he Man in the Ceiling,
Bark, George, and the illustrations for
Which Puppy? by his daughter, Kate, and the children’s classic
The Phantom Tollbooth.
About Leonard S. Marcus
Leonard S. Marcus has written many award-winning books, including
Margaret Wise Brown: Awakened by the Moon. A frequent contributor to
The New York Times Book Review,
Washington Post Book World, The Horn Book, and
Publishers Weekly, Marcus's book reviews have been featured in every issue of
Parenting magazine since it was founded in 1987. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.