The Strange and Unlikely Tale of Montgomery, the Mysterious Bird of Mystery
(A true story … according to Gramps)
Age 8+
General Fiction
From the animator of The Corpse Bride, Coraline and Isle of Dogs, comes a hilarious, illustrated tale about Gramps's life as a magician.
Gramps had what they call a ‘Chequered Career’ which he insists on regaling to his sceptical grandson. He’s been a stuntman and a deep-sea diver, but his most exciting, and discombobulating, career was when he was a magician. Known as The Astounding Alfredo, and he became famous throughout the world, especially for the disappearing trick with his dove – Montgomery, The Mysterious Bird of Mystery.
Unfortunately, Montgomery is not just mysterious, but malevolent, envious and ambitious.
And Gramps and Montgomery discover that fame has a way of changing people – and places.
Expect the unexpected and believe the unbelievable in this hilarious debut novel from acclaimed animator Antony Elworthy.
Creators
Antony Elworthy is an illustrator, animator and children’s book author who has worked on critically acclaimed television and Oscar-winning feature film productions around the world.
His most recent film credit was Lead Stop Motion Animator on Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. He was also Lead Animator for Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs and Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie as well as Animator on Coraline and Corpse Bride.
Antony lives in Christchurch, NZ, where he is Animation Director on the hit preschool TV show Kiri and Lou (starring Jemaine Clement). He is currently Director of Animation on Sauvages, a new film by Claude Barras.
