Christopher's Parade

by Richard Hefter, Martin Stephen Moskof

A little boy watches a spectacular parade go by.

Genres: Picture Books

33 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1972

About the author

Richard Hefter met children's author Jacquelyn Reinach in 1975. He was contracted at the time to write 26 books for the publishers Holt. After the contract expired he formed a publishing venture, Euphrosyne, with Reinach.

He is known as the creator of Stickybear and as the co-creator (with Reinach) and illustrator for the Sweet Pickles[1] library of books, and for the Strawberry Library of First Learning. The Sweet Pickles series went on to sell 40 million copies. Hefter described his aim as "trying to help children understand things like shyness, laziness and embarrassment in a humorous way."

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brilliant use of the page, letting us deliciously anticipate what's next. My 3- and 5-year-old writers loved the progression; it was easy for us to launch a poem about our own parades.

I don't miss the 70s high hot-color palette, or really connect with the balloony pen-outlined faces here. Now it reminds me of awkward clipart, but I do appreciate how this book carries that aesthetic so well.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The drawings were the best sort of psychedelic chaos, but there were far too many clowns in this parade for my personal comfort.