Keith Gordon Campbell was educated in an old, turreted school with ghosts and secret passages and stuff. There he learned to love all things ghoulish, ghastly and rather gothic. He wasn't one for chasing after balls or playing leapfrog; he preferred, even then, to find quiet corners where he could write peculiar stories and illustrate them with funny characters. Keith is now a full-time author/illustrator and lives in California.
Keith Gordon Campbell was educated in an old, turreted school with ghosts and secret passages and stuff. There he learned to love all things ghoulish, ghastly and rather gothic. He wasn't one for chasing after balls or playing leapfrog; he preferred, even then, to find quiet corners where he could write peculiar stories and illustrate them with funny characters. Keith is now a full-time author/illustrator and lives in California.
... the artwork is also full of subtle humor --- Campbell
definitively answers the question of what a shrugging octopus looks
like --- and the story solidly delivers its message about the value
of inquisitiveness, adventurousness, and storytelling.--Publishers
Weekly
Although this luminous tale of self-discovery has echoes of "The
Little Mermaid," like Minnow, it sings its own strong song.--Kirkus
Reviews - Starred Review
Campbell's illustrations, of shadowy blue undersea scenes lightened
by pale drifting hair and waving strands of kelp, have an
attractive, old-fashioned style that harks back to classic picture
books of the early 20th century ... Campbell's sense of visual
humor and Minnow's prince-free happy ending suit 2014
beautifully.--The New York Times
Delicately illustrated by the author in watercolours and pencil
crayon.--The Montreal Gazette
The watercolor and pencil-crayon illustrations ... have a similar
sense of motion and playfulness. And the visual differences between
the flow-y haired, teeny-weeny-seashell-bikini-clad mermaids and
the Raggedy Ann-esque landmaid point to the subjectivity of
storytelling (and also of beauty).--The Horn Book Magazine
The writing and illustrations somehow manage to convey both an
old-fashioned fairy-tale quality and a contemporary edge. Our
favorite book of the year (and maybe for years to come).--The Globe
and Mail
This book is suitable for independent reading as well as a
read-aloud. Minnow's tale will remind readers that it is okay to
ask questions and seek answers, to stand out and be unique.--School
Library Journal
This fairy tale-like story is delightfully told with gentle humour,
featuring an unlikely heroine, whose journey to discover a special
role in her life will make a great read-aloud ... I could see The
Mermaid and the Shoe being successfully used as a vehicle in the
classroom or home setting to reaffirm the power of perseverance,
the importance of inquisitiveness and to remind children that there
is value is believing in yourself.--CM Magazine
With a clever storyline and enchanting pictures, this is an elegant
choice for 4- to 9-year-olds who want a break from dinosaurs.--The
Wall Street Journal
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