‘It must be fun to dress up and make people laugh’, muses Mr Benn at the beginning of this adventure, newly reissued by Andersen Press to mark 50 years of David McKee’s iconic, bowler-hatted hero. Inspired, by the thought, Mr Benn steps into that magical costume shop, picks out a red nose and emerges through a different door as a clown, with a his very own clown car to drive. A wonderful adventure follows, in which Mr Benn, with typical consideration and generosity, helps the circus folk when they find a bridge down. He meets an old friend too, ex-convict Smasher Lagru, and finds him a job as circus strongman. McKee’s illustrations are superb, full of movement and humour, bold blocks of colour and dizzying perspectives dazzling to the eye. Mr Benn looks as fresh as he did when he first began his extraordinary adventures.
When Mr Benn visits the little fancy dress shop, he enters a fantastical world of adventure as if by magic...
Today, Mr Benn swaps his trademark black bowler hat and suit for a clown costume, and finds himself magically transported to a world full of circus performers, magicians and big top tents.
Collect all four Mr Benn classics in their 50th anniversary paperback editions!
..the very name is enough to induce a warm glow of childish bliss...' Telegraph
Author
About David McKee
David McKee (January 1935 – April 2022) was born in Devon and studied at Plymouth Art College. In the early part of his career, McKee regularly drew and sold humorous drawings to magazines and newspapers such as The Times Educational Supplement, Punch and the Reader’s Digest.
David McKee wrote and illustrated over 50 picture books for Andersen Press and penned a number of children’s classics including King Rollo, Mr Benn, Not Now Bernard and of course, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant.
