The Beast of Monsieur Racine
The Beast of Monsieur Racine
Written and illustrated by Tomi Ungerer
New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1971
9.75" x 12.5"
Kerlan Collection, Children's Literature Research Collections
University of Minnesota Libraries
Tomi Ungerer grew up during the 1940s along the war-torn French-German border and adopted an outsider's stance that prepared him well for a career in satirical illustration. In New York in the mid-1950s, he applied his talents to advertising, editorial illustration, and picture-book making. Together with Maurice Sendak, he soon emerged as one of the latter field's most provocative figures. Ungerer enjoyed hiding surprises in his illustrations: an octopus with seven tentacles, or a man with a hole in his skull. The goal was always to amuse children and shock grown-ups. This book, the story of two costumed youngsters who trick adults into believing they are a rare creature, prompted letters of complaint from parents. Ungerer's forays into erotic art further tarnished his reputation in the juvenile field and resulted in numerous bans by libraries.
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Emile
Written and illustrated by Tomi Ungerer
New York: Harper, 1960
Kerlan Collection, Children's LIterature Research Collections
University of Minnesota Libraries