The Emperor of Absurdia

By Chris Riddell

Welcome to a strange and wonderful land, where nothing is quite what it seems! The Emperor of Absurdia is a gloriously rich and beautiful picture book from Chris Riddell, the award-winning creator of Once Upon a Wild Wood.

This is Absurdia: trees are birds, umbrellas are trees, and the sky is thick with snoring fish. Join one small boy as he tumbles out of bed into a crazy dreamland of wardrobe monsters, dragons and amazing adventures!

The Emperor of Absurdia is a brilliantly imaginative and original story from the bestselling picture book creator, Chris Riddell. With a story to enchant even the youngest reader and wonderfully rich and detailed illustrations, it will delight parents and children alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Release date: Oct 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781509823260

Chris Riddell

Chris Riddell is an acclaimed British artist who lives in Brighton, England. He has written and illustrated many books of his own, including Ottoline and the Yellow Cat and Ottoline Goes to School, and has illustrated, for Bloomsbury UK, The Graveyard Book; Coraline; and Fortunately, the Milk; as well as The Sleeper and the Spindle.

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Reviews for The Emperor of Absurdia

[dukefan86 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Bizarre story that stretches the imagination, with fun, colorful illustrations.

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When the boy-emperor of Absurdia awakens to the sounds of sky fish nibbling on umbrella trees, he falls out of bed, and into the arms of his Wardrobe Monster. Unfortunately, although his woolly hat, crumply coat, and jingle-jangle socks are soon located, the emperor's snuggly scarf is nowhere to be found! So begins this delightfully bizarre adventure, in which the young emperor ranges over the aptly named land of Absurdia, questing after his scarf, and barely escaping from the clutches of a mother dragon. Exhausted after a busy day, the emperor goes to sleep, awakening... but that's another story!A delightfully imaginative romp through a dreamlike landscape, The Emperor of Absurdia is the kind of surreal adventure that will appeal to young Seuss lovers. Chris Riddell - who contributed his fabulous illustrations to Paul Stewart's fantasy series, The Edge Chronicles - is at his creepy best here. Expressive, bizarre, and somehow just right, his artwork manages to be simultaneously endearing and disturbing. This is one picture-book that young fans of the bizarre - or of Riddell - will not want to miss!