The Gentleman Bat

by Abraham Schroeder, Piotr Parda (Illustrator)

Overview

Join the charismatic gentleman bat on a night time stroll down cobblestone streets where the town is lively and energetic.  Along the way he meets his lady friend. Dancing and merriment fill their evening until the weather takes a turn.  But not to worry, when you're called the gentleman bat, you always come prepared. The Gentleman Bat is an original story with a timeless appeal. While it takes place in the Victorian-era, it has the universal appeal of two friends, or perhaps more than friends, enjoying a walk together.  But what really sets The Gentleman Bat apart are the illustrations. Piotr Parda's watercolor and bamboo pen and ink paintings are meticulously crafted. The Gentleman Bat is sure to become a favorite book for children and the adults in their lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780991386604
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	10/01/2014
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	44
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 12 Years

About the Author

Abraham Schroeder is an author, artist, and designer, currently residing in Petaluma, California with his family after living in more than a dozen interesting cities and towns, big and small, from rural Alaska and Montana to Boston, Seattle, and Kyoto. More information can be found on his website, www.TheGentlemanBat.com.

Piotr Parda grew up in Nowy Targ, Poland, and now lives in Somerville, Massachusetts. He has always enjoyed drawing strange creatures and cartoon characters, and has illustrated over thirty books in Poland and the US. His artwork includes drawing, painting, sculpture, and moving images.

Editorial Reviews

"The Gentleman Bat" is a fantastically illustrated foray into a nighttime stroll with an impeccable gentleman bat. Gently cadenced couplets of narrative verse describe the Victorian autumn evening setting of a London-like gentleman bat on a stroll to meet a lady bat who is a good friend. Touches of sly humor abound in both verse and picture, all in shades of gray with little glimmers of light. For example, a bespectacled vendor bat offers ear plugs for sale where the band will begin to play. The bat band play their instruments hanging upside down, while the gentleman bat and his lady friend dance in spats, suit, and hoopskirts, complete with batwings. When the evening drizzle progresses to a sinister, thundering downpour, the gentleman bat flourishes a clever, exotic, carved, teak cane that converts to an umbrella, protecting her fancy feathered hat and his silk top hat. Kissing the lady bat's cheek goodnight after their evening stroll in the rain, he returns to his cozy gentleman's home, closes the drapes to keep out the dawn, and goes to sleep upside down in bat pajamas. Children will be entranced with the lavish detail and vision of "The Gentleman Bat," a period fantasy children's book with a few funny twists cleverly integrated in both picture and verse. "The Gentleman Bat" is a treat to read for children ages 3-7.

The Midwest Book Review

The Gentleman Bat

by Abrahm Schroeder/ illus. by Piotr Parda

Stroll down the cobblestone streets with the Gentleman Bat as he courts a young lady (bat lady, of course!). The rhyming text moves the reader along as the two bat friends wander the cobblestone streets under night skies with lovely light emanating from shop windows and oil lit lamps. The wordless spread in the middle of their walk depicts all the bats dancing around the bandstand in all their fine Victorian garb. All is well until... "Without any warning came cause for concern: The sky took a sinister, foreboding turn." The Gentleman Bat, true to his name, protects his lady friends' feathered bonnet with his clever cane-turned-umbrella. By nights end, after the storm, they share a kiss and head their separate ways. Parda's illustrations are lovely and moody, expertly filling the dark sky with fog, mist, heavy rain and glowing light. The mat cover and moody blue end papers wrap up the package nicely.

review by Gianna Marino August 2014

www.GiannaMarino.com

Gianna Marino

TheGentlemanBat is a spectacular debut for picture book publisher Ripple Grove Press. From the amazing front cover all the way to the satisfying conclusion, I was completelymesmerized and drawn into a bygone era filled not with people, but with gentleman and lady bats. The text is fluid, fun, and fantastic to read, and is complemented by beautiful watercolor and ink illustrations.

Join the gentleman bat as he takes a stroll along cobblestone streets dressed in his finest attire and ready for a night on the town.

The gentleman bat, with his gentleman’s cane,

went out for a walk one night in the rain.

He meets his lady friend and the two head to the town square where a band is playing. She accepts his offer to dance.

He spun her around and dipped her down low;

she giggled and laughed and kicked up her toe.

Could there be a romance brewing?

Their hearts fluttered wistfully as he departed,

and made his way back to his house where he started.

The Gentleman Batis a lovely story that will entrance both children and adults. And if you are not a fan of bats, this picture book just may change the way you feel about the oft-misunderstood creature of the night.The Gentleman Batis available for pre-order now and is due out October 1. Congratulations Ripple Grove Press!

http://frogonablog.wordpress.com - Lauri Fortino

2014-08-27
A dapper bat, resplendent in top hat, monocle and cane, strolls down 19th-century cobblestone streets to see where the night takes him. Inspired by a real-life Japanese woodblock print by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi showcasing bats and an umbrella (find the image tucked away in the illustrations), Parda and Schroeder create a debonair bat who hits the town of Batford. Upon meeting a lady bat friend in the town's square, he asks her to dance ("A gentleman's way to kindle romance"). They continue their walk, but rain threatens to ruin their evening. Luckily, he has an umbrella hidden in his cane. It's an odd plot to be sure, but it's absolutely charming in detail. Parda's moonlit watercolors bring the Victorian era to life. Compact, wrinkled bat faces and webbed wings are folded into beautiful bonnets and full hoop skirts. Hidden jokes add to the fun. Sign posts advertise delectable drinks of coffee, nectar and plasma, while a corner merchant sells ear plugs (sure to make a bat's evening more enjoyable). True to his eponym, the gentleman bat escorts the lady bat home, giving her a small kiss on the cheek at the gate. A jaunty rhyme that just may teach manners to boot. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews