The 13 Clocks (New York Review Books Children's Collection) - Softcover

James Thurber (1894–1961) was born in Columbus, Ohio. After dropping out of college, he became a successful reporter, first for The Columbus Dispatch and later for the New York Evening Post. In 1927, after rejecting countless submissions, The New Yorker published one of Thurber’s short pieces. Not long after, he met E.B. White, who helped him get a job as an editor there; White also encouraged Thurber to use his own drawings to illustrate his first book, the best-selling satire Is Sex Necessary? Thurber didn’t last long in his editorial job, but he continued publishing sketches and “Talk of the Town” pieces for The New Yorker until his death. Among his nearly forty books are The Owl in the Attic, Fables for Our Time, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and A Thurber Carnival, which was adapted for the stage, winning a Tony Award in 1960. Thurber also wrote five books for children: Many Moons (1943), a Caldecott Honor Book; The Great Quillow (1944); The White Deer (1945); The 13 Clocks (1950); and The Wonderful O (1957), which is available from The New York Review Children’s Collection.

Marc Simont (1915–2013) was born in Paris, the child of Catalan immigrants. He studied art with his father, a professional illustrator, and at several schools in France and America, where he moved when he was nineteen. Simont illustrated nearly one hundred books, working with authors such as Margaret Wise Brown, James Thurber, and Marjorie Weinman Sharmat (on the Nate the Great series). He is also the author of several books and the translator of poems by García Lorca and others. Simont received the Caldecott Medal for his illustrations to A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry. He collaborated with Ruth Krauss on The Backward Day (also published by The New York Review Children’s Collection) and The Happy Day, a Caldecott Honor Book. 

Neil Gaiman is an award-winning author of novels, short stories, and graphic novels. Among his works are the children’s books Coraline, The Wolves in the Walls, and The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish; the Sandman graphic novel series; and the fantasy novels Stardust and Neverwhere. Originally from England, Gaiman now lives in the United States.

“The 13 Clocks took apart and lovingly reconstructed the fairy tale long before William Steig wrote Shrek or William Goldman penned The Princess Bride.” —Sonja Bolle, The Los Angeles Times

“There are spies, monsters, betrayals, hair’s-breadth escapes, spells to be broken and all the usual accouterments, but Thurber gives the proceedings his own particular deadpan
spin . . . It all makes for a rousing concoction of adventure, humor and satire that defies any conventional classification.” —William Joyce, author of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

“This dark and delightful fable mixes together all the ingredients of traditional tales . . . and comes up with a sublimelyentertaining concoction. . . . Thurber’s sly humor and shameless use of puns and wordplay make the story a joy to read out loud. And the suitably mysterious illustrations by Marc Simont add the perfect atmospheric touch to this unusual tale.” —Terri Schmitz, The Horn Book

“Rich with ogres and oligarchs, riddles and wit. What distinguishes it is not just quixotic imagination but Thurber’s inimitable delight in language. The stories beg to be read
aloud . . . Thurber captivates the ear and captures the heart.” —Newsweek

“The 13 Clocks, first published in 1950, still deserves its reputation as a modern classic, and ranks as one of Thurber’s finest works . . . .Thurber pioneers the postmodern, ironic fairy story.” —Publishers Weekly