The Bad Beginning
What's This Book About
Publisher Summary
Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.
In the first two books alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, a lumpy bed, a deadly serpent, a large brass reading lamp, a long knife, and a terrible odor.
In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likeable and unfortunate children been quite so enchanting, or quite so uproariously unhappy.
What Kind of Book is The Bad Beginning
Trusted Reviews & Ratings
Who knew that a story about terrible things happening to children could be so utterly delightful? This book, and those that follow it in the series, are constructed in an absolutely charming, oh-so-clever way. And don’t let the titles fool you: they are chock-full of silliness.
Book Lists That Include The Bad Beginning
Who Wrote The Bad Beginning
Lemony Snicket is the author of the thirteen volumes in A Series of Unfortunate Events; several picture books, including The Dark; and the books collectively titled All the Wrong Questions.
Who Illustrated The Bad Beginning
Brett Helquist’s celebrated art has graced books from the charming Bedtime for Bear, which he also wrote, to the New York Times-bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket to the glorious picture book adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.
Michael Kupperman has done many illustrations for such publications as Fortune, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. He frequently writes scripts for DC Comics. This is his first book.
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Book Details
- ISBN:
- 9780064407663
- Publication Date:
- August 25, 1999
- Library of Congress Number (LCCN):
- 99014750
- WorldCat Number (OCLC):
- 41070636
- ASIN/ISBN 10:
- 0064407667
- Lexile:
- 1010L
- Guided Reading Level:
- V
- Accelerated Reader Points:
- 4.0
- Accelerated Reader Quiz:
- 41281
- ATOS Book Level:
- 6.4
- Accelerated Reader Interest Level:
- MG