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Necks Out for Adventure: The True Story of Edwin Wiggleskin
What if a tiny wiggleskin dared to leave his shell and stick his neck out? A warm, whimsical tale from the illustrator of THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX.
For as long as anyone could remember, the wiggleskins have lived by a simple rule: Necks out to eat, and necks in to hide. But then comes the dreadful day when all the wiggleskins are ripped from their holes and taken away — all but a brave little wiggleskin named Edwin. To save his mom and the rest of the clan, Edwin must shuck his shell and adopt a new rule: Necks out for adventure! Timothy Basil Ering’s boisterous and warmhearted adventure will have you cheering for Edwin — and for plucky souls everywhere who dare stick their necks out.
For as long as anyone could remember, the wiggleskins have lived by a simple rule: Necks out to eat, and necks in to hide. But then comes the dreadful day when all the wiggleskins are ripped from their holes and taken away — all but a brave little wiggleskin named Edwin. To save his mom and the rest of the clan, Edwin must shuck his shell and adopt a new rule: Necks out for adventure! Timothy Basil Ering’s boisterous and warmhearted adventure will have you cheering for Edwin — and for plucky souls everywhere who dare stick their necks out.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 8, 2008
About the author
Timothy Basil Ering
22 books51 followersTimothy Basil Ering is the illustrator of the Newbery Medal-winning THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX by Kate DiCamillo and FINN THROWS A FIT! by David Elliott. He is also the author-illustrator of THE STORY OF FROG BELLY RAT BONE and NECKS OUT FOR ADVENTURE! He lives in Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 4, 2008
Necks Out is so much fun and the illustrations are jaw-droppingly beautiful. The paintings in the book are to behold! I would say they rival J.M.W. Turner in terms of skill in depicting light and water. This is a story about clams... I mean wigleskins... and a brave young hero called Edwin who shucks his shell to save his family. This book will be a must have and should be on the top of all the award savvy list keepers' lists. Stop what you're doing, order the book now and marvel at it once it arrives.
February 16, 2019
Both good, and bad things happen when Edwin dares to stand out from the crowd, but he definitely has an adventure. The author's artwork bears some resemblance to Ralph Steadman's work, and the somewhat messy scratchings make the action a little hard to follow. The background paintings are lovely, however.
January 27, 2008
The author/illustrator of a picture book who isn't afraid to get a little weird is precisely the kind of person you want to have within your reach. Day after day my library purchases and buys familiar titles. Here are two more first day of school books. Oh look, there's another new puppy story. And yup, here's a nice little bully tale. These titles are all useful and they certainly fulfill a need but after a while you wish that you could give the kids a little more. Something a little wild and wacky with an irreverent near-psychotic glee to the whole kerschmozzle. Enter Timothy Basil Ering. Any author can take a walk on the seashore and think, "Clams! I should do a clam story." But hardly anyone would take it a step further and say, "I should do a story where a clam shucks off his own shell and sallies forth into the greater world!!!" Credit Mr. Ering then with going where no clammy taleteller has gone before; Onward.
As any wiggleskin will tell you, life is simple. Necks out for tasty food items that float on past. Necks in whenever danger/the unknown/odd looking shadows appear. Everyone follows this pattern, except perhaps Edwin. Where others stick in their necks unquestioningly, Edwin has the foolish gall to ask questions like, "What would happen if we flowed with the current?" The young wiggleskin has the chance to find out, though, when a hungry hornly scratcher with big smelly feet walks into the wiggleskins' world and steals away everyone except for Edwin. Alone and on his own, Edwin shucks off his own shell, follows the current, locates his family, and rescues them with ingenuity and a peculiar way of doing things.
I'm not going to confess to you how long it took me to figure out whether or not the wiggleskins in this book were clams, oysters, or mussels. The story itself does not say, nor does any summary you will find online. Really, it wasn't until I flipped to the author bio on the back flap that I read that Mr. Ering wrote this story after clamming with his brother. "I watched a clam disappear into the mud and I realized that clams and people have something in common: both miss out on exciting things when they tuck their necks in and hide." If you think about it then, Mr. Ering and his brother are the nasty hornly scratcher in this book. Huh! Not every author turns himself into a villain, but if it yields books as good as this one, maybe more should try.
Some authors look at influences like Dr. Seuss, see what he did with funny funky names, and then try to emulate him in the worst way. They'll fill their books to brimming with long ridiculous names and convoluted, tortured English. Maybe part of what I admired so much about Ering's words in this book was his restraint. Yes, there is the occasional funny phrase here. We have "wiggleskins", a "hornly scratcher", a "red-spotted scrintalberry leaf", "squid-bellied lice", and finally "glimmering golden-eyed silverstones." But by and large Ering keeps his loony descriptions to the absolute minimum. It's like having songs in a musical. If the songs enhance the action on the stage then they are necessary to the story. Likewise, if Ering's loony words add to the feel of the book and the very taste of the language, then they are more than necessary. They are essential, just so long as you don't overdo it.
As for the art, Ering's style feels like a combination of Dr. Seuss, Ronald Searle, William Steig, and Ralph Steadman. It has a manic edge to it. There's so much wiggliness and movement that you half-expect the characters to suddenly burst from the page and run screaming down the hallway of your home. Done in inks and acrylics, Ering supplements his sketchy style with beautiful colors of the ocean. These then are spotted with drops and splashes of hues that can show everything from the waves of the ocean to the nastiness of the hornly scratcher's hut. The endpapers are pretty impressive too. On the front endpapers we see the footprints of the nasty hornly scratcher. Odor is still emanating from the prints of his nasty bare feet and an unfortunate shelled critter is bearing the brunt of the smell. At the same time, the view on the next page is a rather lovely Impressionist image of an ocean beach, sandy dunes above. All in all, Ering's is a style so unique that it demanded that he create his own wholly original font. Flip to the publication page of this book sometime. See that cool font that is reflected throughout the entire book, all the way to the book flaps? See the name of it? "Tim Ering". Clever boy.
Speaking of clever, it was particularly smart of Mr. Ering to give Edwin that scrintalberry leaf. Ering has created a world in which one wiggleskin pretty much looks like another wiggleskin. Some may have slightly more expressive eyebrows than the others, but for the most part they are identical. So when Edwin convinces his tribe to shuck off their own shells and make a break for it, how on earth are we supposed to identify him the midst of the mass exodus? Enter one scrintalberry leaf. It's yellow with bright orange spots and in a way it's so important to the action that Ering has chosen to place it front and center on the cover, for maximum efficiency.
So, let's see. It's fun to read, has a great (weird) little story, and looks like nothing you've seen before. Basically this is a book with a good little heart. If you want to get something for a young `un that falls outside the usual dull tales and skews a little wacky at times, "Necks out for Adventure", is undoubtedly your best choice. Consider it a great tale for the beach, whatever the season.
As any wiggleskin will tell you, life is simple. Necks out for tasty food items that float on past. Necks in whenever danger/the unknown/odd looking shadows appear. Everyone follows this pattern, except perhaps Edwin. Where others stick in their necks unquestioningly, Edwin has the foolish gall to ask questions like, "What would happen if we flowed with the current?" The young wiggleskin has the chance to find out, though, when a hungry hornly scratcher with big smelly feet walks into the wiggleskins' world and steals away everyone except for Edwin. Alone and on his own, Edwin shucks off his own shell, follows the current, locates his family, and rescues them with ingenuity and a peculiar way of doing things.
I'm not going to confess to you how long it took me to figure out whether or not the wiggleskins in this book were clams, oysters, or mussels. The story itself does not say, nor does any summary you will find online. Really, it wasn't until I flipped to the author bio on the back flap that I read that Mr. Ering wrote this story after clamming with his brother. "I watched a clam disappear into the mud and I realized that clams and people have something in common: both miss out on exciting things when they tuck their necks in and hide." If you think about it then, Mr. Ering and his brother are the nasty hornly scratcher in this book. Huh! Not every author turns himself into a villain, but if it yields books as good as this one, maybe more should try.
Some authors look at influences like Dr. Seuss, see what he did with funny funky names, and then try to emulate him in the worst way. They'll fill their books to brimming with long ridiculous names and convoluted, tortured English. Maybe part of what I admired so much about Ering's words in this book was his restraint. Yes, there is the occasional funny phrase here. We have "wiggleskins", a "hornly scratcher", a "red-spotted scrintalberry leaf", "squid-bellied lice", and finally "glimmering golden-eyed silverstones." But by and large Ering keeps his loony descriptions to the absolute minimum. It's like having songs in a musical. If the songs enhance the action on the stage then they are necessary to the story. Likewise, if Ering's loony words add to the feel of the book and the very taste of the language, then they are more than necessary. They are essential, just so long as you don't overdo it.
As for the art, Ering's style feels like a combination of Dr. Seuss, Ronald Searle, William Steig, and Ralph Steadman. It has a manic edge to it. There's so much wiggliness and movement that you half-expect the characters to suddenly burst from the page and run screaming down the hallway of your home. Done in inks and acrylics, Ering supplements his sketchy style with beautiful colors of the ocean. These then are spotted with drops and splashes of hues that can show everything from the waves of the ocean to the nastiness of the hornly scratcher's hut. The endpapers are pretty impressive too. On the front endpapers we see the footprints of the nasty hornly scratcher. Odor is still emanating from the prints of his nasty bare feet and an unfortunate shelled critter is bearing the brunt of the smell. At the same time, the view on the next page is a rather lovely Impressionist image of an ocean beach, sandy dunes above. All in all, Ering's is a style so unique that it demanded that he create his own wholly original font. Flip to the publication page of this book sometime. See that cool font that is reflected throughout the entire book, all the way to the book flaps? See the name of it? "Tim Ering". Clever boy.
Speaking of clever, it was particularly smart of Mr. Ering to give Edwin that scrintalberry leaf. Ering has created a world in which one wiggleskin pretty much looks like another wiggleskin. Some may have slightly more expressive eyebrows than the others, but for the most part they are identical. So when Edwin convinces his tribe to shuck off their own shells and make a break for it, how on earth are we supposed to identify him the midst of the mass exodus? Enter one scrintalberry leaf. It's yellow with bright orange spots and in a way it's so important to the action that Ering has chosen to place it front and center on the cover, for maximum efficiency.
So, let's see. It's fun to read, has a great (weird) little story, and looks like nothing you've seen before. Basically this is a book with a good little heart. If you want to get something for a young `un that falls outside the usual dull tales and skews a little wacky at times, "Necks out for Adventure", is undoubtedly your best choice. Consider it a great tale for the beach, whatever the season.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2021
I like the STYLE of both the writing and the illustrations, but unfortunately, the story was weak and the art too dark. I was hoping the main character, Edwin the wiggleskin, would have more adventures within the story. He didn't seem so much adventuresome as he did brave (in overcoming his fear).
May 17, 2019
Such a great book especially when I got to listen to it read instead of me doing the reading. Love have guest readers in my library.
April 17, 2013
Necks Out for Adventure is a wonderful book for elementary age children (and adults!). If you disdain princess stories and have read "Where the Wild Things Are" a hundred times already, this should be in your library.
Edwin is the odd man out in his colony of wiggleskins (oysters?)who sees his underwater world differently then all the others. When catastrophe strikes,it is his adventurous spirit that saves the day.
The illustrations and writing style remind me of Arthur Rackham and Grimms fairytales much more than most modern tales. Of my three kids, one was a bit scared the first 5 times we read it - like watching your favorite episode of fantasy island as a kid. Now it is the go-to book at bedtime.
The best part is the joyous ending. I won't ruin it for you, but I am slightly embarrassed to say I choke up every time I read it aloud.
Edwin is the odd man out in his colony of wiggleskins (oysters?)who sees his underwater world differently then all the others. When catastrophe strikes,it is his adventurous spirit that saves the day.
The illustrations and writing style remind me of Arthur Rackham and Grimms fairytales much more than most modern tales. Of my three kids, one was a bit scared the first 5 times we read it - like watching your favorite episode of fantasy island as a kid. Now it is the go-to book at bedtime.
The best part is the joyous ending. I won't ruin it for you, but I am slightly embarrassed to say I choke up every time I read it aloud.
November 12, 2009
What a darling book that everyone, no matter what their age, can relate to! The illustrations are amazing and draw you right into the story. Edwin the wiggleskin (clam) and his family have always lived by two simple rules: Necks out to eat, and necks in to hide! These rules work until one day the wiggleskins are snatched right from their home in the mud. Edwin is the only one left and decides that in order to save his family, he has to live by a different rule: Necks out for adventure! After this risky move, Edwin discovers things about life that he never knew. We can all learn a valuable lesson from Edwin...who knows what we will miss out on if we don't stick our necks out every now and then!
February 11, 2014
I had to find a book that I could use along with a subject in class. I was able to fit this book nicely into a lot of areas for class. So, hopefully I can implement this book when I start teaching and that they enjoy it as much as I did, anyway!
This books is drawn beautifully. It's dark -- not in the sense of spooky but it's not light and colorful typical of children books. but it does use a lot of colors and is a nice little story.
Does not have a preachy tone to it which is nice. There is a little "moral" but nothing too holier-than-than thou or to strive to be "unique" it's one of the stories that shows a "person" just being themselves.
This books is drawn beautifully. It's dark -- not in the sense of spooky but it's not light and colorful typical of children books. but it does use a lot of colors and is a nice little story.
Does not have a preachy tone to it which is nice. There is a little "moral" but nothing too holier-than-than thou or to strive to be "unique" it's one of the stories that shows a "person" just being themselves.
June 28, 2008
I know Tim - I went to school with his brother, so I'm admittedly biased! But really, Tim's work is so unique - not only the vivid artwork but the story lines. They're not awash in the usual kid-book goody-goody sticky sweetness. I really liked this. I also recommend "Frog Belly Rat Bone" - and anything new he comes out with!
September 17, 2011
Genre: Fantasy picture book
Copyright: 2008
Thoughts: The Wiggleskins (clams) get gathered by a stinky-foot human who is going to eat them for dinner. Edwin shucks his shell, winds up at the human's house, and saves the other Wiggleskins. Fun book, although I wonder if kids ever connect talking animals in books to animals they eat for food?
Copyright: 2008
Thoughts: The Wiggleskins (clams) get gathered by a stinky-foot human who is going to eat them for dinner. Edwin shucks his shell, winds up at the human's house, and saves the other Wiggleskins. Fun book, although I wonder if kids ever connect talking animals in books to animals they eat for food?
May 23, 2008
Okay, this guy is rapidly becoming one of my favorite children's book author/illustrators right now! This one is so clever and sweet with that wonderful dark edge that Frog Belly Rat Bone has - that's what I like with my optimism, a dash of dark!
March 15, 2010
I love Timothy Basil Ering's art in such a big way, but he really shouldn't write his own stories...good on concept, but he's not able to pull it off for the picture book audience. They are always left with the, "huh?" Not a good thing for such a big effort, IMO. Do love the art, though.
December 22, 2010
I have to say I LOVED Edwin. In the field of education, where we are sometimes hesitant to say what we think, I know there some out there who are willing to put their necks out for the sake of our children. I think kids of all ages will enjoy Edwin's story.
August 26, 2014
What an odd yet endearing story. The language is delightful and the illustrations are interesting to look at. Can't see myself reading this more than once, but I think lower elementary age kids would get a kick out of it.
September 1, 2014
What a wonderfully quirky book! Who knew a mollusc could be so endearing? Cheer Edwin along, and all those other risk-takers, who dare to stick their necks out and go against the current in seeking to experience our great big wide beautiful world...
August 19, 2007
Timothy Ering is one of our greatest living artists today. His imagination is unmatched, as are his characters.
February 24, 2008
Fun picture book about taking chances. The illustrations of the clams leaving their shells and holes are hilarious!
April 6, 2008
Really charming :) I love the quirky artistic style and the story is great. A new favorite for my collection.
May 21, 2008
The illustrations are done in watercolor and ink.
June 19, 2008
definately different! good message
May 19, 2009
Wiggleskins are captured, all except one- Edwin. Can he save his family from becomming dinner?
Adorable and terrifying, all at the same time.
Adorable and terrifying, all at the same time.
February 8, 2010
Funky, fun illustrations. I just found this story strange.
July 13, 2010
Cool illustrations but the story was a bit strange. This is not a book I would want to buy.
July 28, 2011
This is the kind of kids book that five stars are reserved for. My highest recommendation. Bravo for Edwin Wiggleskin and Tim Ering!!
August 10, 2012
Reread to use at beginning of school year...workshop theme
September 8, 2012
Beautifully quirky
February 3, 2015
First, the illustrations were a little too much for my 4YO. Plus, the story lost her quite early. I will try this again in a few years.
July 19, 2016
Love this illustrator. This book is cute, amusing, and I love the premise and the theme. Edwin Wiggleskin will make you laugh, so it would be a fun read-aloud.
November 2, 2016
Incredible artwork. The story is a familiar one... a person who is different somehow saves the day. The telling has a few moments that might be scary for young kiddos.
June 20, 2008
Brilliant!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews