Lucky Lazlo

by Steve Light, Steve Light (Illustrator)

Overview

It’s curtains up on a delightful new production from Steve Light, whose intricate pen-and-ink style sets the stage for a romantic gesture gone comically awry.

Lazlo is in love. He selects the perfect red rose and sets off to the theater to present it to his beloved, an actress currently starring in Alice in Wonderland. When a naughty cat snatches the flower, Lazlo gives chase. Through the stage door, round and round backstage, through the orchestra pit they go, wreaking havoc along the way. Readers are treated to an array of delightful characters from Lewis Carroll’s classic, along with an insider’s view of the workings of a majestic theater. An author's note describes the numerous superstitions related to theater that appear in the book, and invites readers to spot them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763688257
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	12/27/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.80(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Steve Light is the author-illustrator of The Christmas Giant, Zephyr Takes Flight, Have You Seen My Dragon?, Have You Seen My Monster?, and Swap! He lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

10/31/2016
A boy named Lazlo plans to deliver a rose to the girl he loves, who is starring in a production of Alice in Wonderland. When an orange cat makes off with the flower and races into the theater, it results in a show-stopping chase (in more ways than one). The elaborate costumes, scenes, props, and overall theatrical setting of the story are tailor-made for the thick, black line-work and intricate detailing that Light's (The Bunny Burrow Buyer's Book) fans will recognize from his previous books; his punctuation-like use of color emphasizes key moments in each semi-chaotic scene. Despite all of the disruptions, Lazlo's love errand is a success, calling to mind another theatrical expression: all's well that ends well. Ages 3–7. Agency: Wernick & Pratt. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

Featuring a racially diverse cast of characters and an interracial romance, this charming picture book acquaints (or reacquaints) readers with the elements of Lewis Carroll's classic while also taking them on a delightfully zany theatrical romp that only someone in love could inspire. The title indicates that Lazlo is lucky, but readers of this delightful book will undoubtedly feel that they are really the lucky ones.
—Kirkus Reviews

Light’s delightfully detailed pen-and-ink illustrations use focused areas of color to stand out against his signature black-and-white backdrops. Each spread is a visual feast that references both the world of the stage and Lewis Carroll’s beloved Wonderland characters...this title will appeal to children interested in the theater and the many strange and fascinating beliefs of those who tread the boards.
—School Library Journal

The elaborate costumes, scenes, props, and overall theatrical setting of the story are tailor-made for the thick, black line-work and intricate detailing that Light's (The Bunny Burrow Buyer's Book) fans will recognize from his previous books...Despite all of the disruptions, Lazlo's love errand is a success, calling to mind another theatrical expression: all's well that ends well.
—Publishers Weekly

This is a wild ride that kids will enjoy. What will not be as clear to little ones is that the story is also full of theater lore and superstitions, enumerated on the last page. Adult readers will enjoy that.
—Booklist Online

It’s sheer fun in many directions, but it’s especially entertaining for theatre-lovers of all ages.
—Kirkus Reviews (blog)

From the Publisher

11/01/2016
K-Gr 2—Young Lazlo buys his lady love a red rose, which is stolen by a mischievous cat who leads him on a wild romp through the theater where his sweetheart is playing the lead in a production of Alice in Wonderland. While this may sound like a thin plot, the author has a purpose: introducing young readers to a few of the many superstitions observed by those who work in the theater. "Flowers should never be presented before a performance." "It is bad luck to open a show on Friday." And, of course, the familiar "break a leg." As Lazlo pursues the feline, he runs by actors getting into their costumes, musicians tuning their instruments, and prop masters preparing the scenery, then right across the stage into the wings, where the cat finally drops the rose (there's a mouse to catch!). Light's delightfully detailed pen-and-ink illustrations use focused areas of color to stand out against his signature black-and-white backdrops. Each spread is a visual feast that references both the world of the stage and Lewis Carroll's beloved Wonderland characters. For most of the story, Lazlo seems decidedly unlucky, until the end, when he steals the show and Alice's heart. Readers are then invited to go back and search for each of the superstitions hiding in the illustrations. VERDICT While not as immediately accessible as some of Light's books for younger readers, such as Have You Seen My Dragon? and Swap!, this title will appeal to children interested in the theater and the many strange and fascinating beliefs of those who tread the boards.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

2016-08-17
Lazlo is in love with an actress playing Alice, and thus his adventure into the wonderful world of theater begins.Wanting to surprise his ladylove on the opening night of her play, Lazlo buys her a red rose that is quickly stolen by a mischievous cat, who leads Lazlo on a merry chase through the underbelly of the theater and eventually onto the stage itself. Brown-skinned Lazlo's amorous feelings manifest themselves in both his beaming smile and in his bright coloring, which sets him apart from the black-and-white cityscape he traipses through as beautifully as Technicolor separated Dorothy's journey through Munchkinland from dreary Kansas farm life in the 1939 Wizard of Oz. While love brings color to Lazlo’s cheeks, for readers, Light’s intricately inked city and theater spreads resurrect a bygone pre-television era when plays and children’s books were primary sources of wonder and bringers of magic in people’s lives. Featuring a racially diverse cast of characters and an interracial romance, this charming picture book acquaints (or reacquaints) readers with the elements of Lewis Carroll's classic while also taking them on a delightfully zany theatrical romp that only someone in love could inspire. The title indicates that Lazlo is lucky, but readers of this delightful book will undoubtedly feel that they are really the lucky ones. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews