Pushka

by Stephen Mackey

A fascinating, beautifully illustrated tale full of mystery, this story of a lost little circus clown is filled with magic, warmth, and heart  The little clown Pushka is fast asleep in his bed on the circus train when he suddenly topples out, finding himself lost in the enchanted woods. Scared, Pushka runs away through the night until he is rescued by a beautiful dancing girl. She says not a word, but she beckons him to her—luring Pushka into the arms of a hungry giant! Will love find a way to save Pushka? With a song-like quality, this is an enchanting tale about the unbreakable bonds of true love.

Genres: Picture Books

48 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2012

Reviews

[Eden P]

I liked the art, but this would have terrified me as a child.

[Alicia Moore]

The pictures in this story are stunning. Absolutely enchanting. The story itself is sweet, with love and uncertainty woven throughout.

[Christine Turner]

A fascinating, beautifully illustrated tale full of mystery, this story of a lost little circus clown is filled with magic, warmth, and heart The little clown Pushka is fast asleep in his bed on the circus train when he suddenly topples out, finding himself lost in the enchanted woods. Scared, Pushka runs away through the night until he is rescued by a beautiful dancing girl. She says not a word, but she beckons him to her--luring Pushka into the arms of a hungry giant! Will love find a way to save Pushka? With a song-like quality, this is an enchanting tale about the unbreakable bonds of true love.

Author Notes
Stephen Mackey is an artist who distributes his work through Lip International. His posters have sold through Ikea and his greeting cards have sold through Barnes & Noble, Borders, the Nature Company, Pier 1, and Urban Outfitters.

[Beth Kakuma-Depew]

This author/illustrator show great promise. The doll-like characters are charmingly innocent, and the fairy tale giant is menacing. Their whole adventure ends happily. Some things that could use improvement: Too often the main characters are swallowed by the page gutters, leaving open blank spaces on the actual page. The text realies on telling more than showing. The giant uses the "fee,fie,fo, fum" only once, without any rhyming or repetition.

[Heather]

dark
very nice illustrations
hate some of the writing "I was lost until I found you." (gag reflex)
a story about love overcoming obstacles