The Great Zapfino
9781534411548 | Beach Lane Books, Simon & Schuster
Behold! Zapfino escapes the circus, starts a new life, faces his fears, and follows his heart!
When The Great Zapfino climbs to the top of the circus platform, all eyes are on him, waiting for his incredible leap. But Zapfino is afraid of heights! He can’t take the pressure and flees, boards a plane, and runs away to start a new life.
Awards
Silver Medal winner from the Society of Illustrators, Original Art Exhibit 2023
Reviews
★ “Frazee’s lightly smudgy comic line drawings convey relief, repose, terror, suspense, and, at last, Olympian-level physical skill in this droll comedy.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Join the crowd, hold your breath, and thrill to the ringmaster’s ballyhoo as The Great Zapfino ascends the impossibly high ladder and prepares to make the ten-story Leap For Life onto an impossibly tiny trampoline...” –Bulletin
“This fun mini-adventure will delight kids as they pore over the illustrations and fill in story details with their imaginations.” –Booklist
★ “Rendered entirely in pencil on transparent film and accompanied by hand-lettered text, this tour de force of visual storytelling features the Great Zapfino, an adorable little man with a pale cue-ball head, huge ears, and a striped bathing outfit.…Perfectly plotted and visually superb.”–Kirkus, starred review
★ “This charming tale will have children of all ages spellbound. Highly recommended for purchase.”–School Library Journal, starred review
“With its expert pacing and delightful details, this is a splendid collaboration between two picture-book greats.”–Horn Book
“…Zapfino tries to live up to his name in this funny and redemptive story.” –Wall Street Journal