The Treehorn Trilogy by Florence Parry Heide and Edward Gorey / ISBN 9780764959585 / Boxed-set includes three hardcover books in a sturdy slipcase, 64 pages each, 6.5 x 6 inches, from Pomegranate
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The Treehorn Trilogy contains three well-loved stories chronicling the trials of Treehorn, a young boy with a talent for getting into and out of (and sometimes right back into) unusual situations. The Shrinking of Treehorn finds him growing down instead of growing up; in Treehorn’s Treasure, he puts a creative spin on an adage spoken by his father; and a genie adds some befuddlement to the boy’s birthday in Treehorn’s Wish. In these tales—each written by Florence Parry Heide and illustrated by Edward Gorey—Treehorn’s quandaries are complicated by preoccupied adults, his fickle friend Moshie, and, of course, comic books, coupons, and cereal box tops.
Artist and author Edward Gorey (American, 1925–2000) is beloved for the boundless imagination and sharp humor exhibited in his more than 100 published works. Gorey was also a set and costume designer for innumerable theater productions, including a staging of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, for which he won a Tony. He had a profound affection for literature, film, ballet, and animals. Cats and other odd creatures appear in many of his crosshatched illustrations. His humorously unsettling drawings of vaguely Victorian innocents facing unfortunate ends became familiar to a wide audience after appearing in the opening credits of the PBS television series Mystery! Gorey’s Cape Cod home, a veritable cabinet of curiosities, is now a museum celebrating his life and work.