In a world built for Perfect Pets, Barnabus is a Failed Project, half mouse, half elephant, kept out of sight until his dreams of freedom lead him and his misfit friends on a perilous adventure. A stunning picture book from international bestsellers The Fan Brothers, joined by their brother Devin Fan.
Deep underground beneath Perfect Pets, where children can buy genetically engineered "perfect" creatures, there is a secret lab. Barnabus and his friends live in this lab, but none of them is perfect. They are all Failed Projects. Barnabus has never been outside his tiny bell jar, yet he dreams of one day seeing the world above ground that his pal Pip the cockroach has told him about: a world with green hills and trees, and buildings that reach all the way to the sky, lit with their own stars. But Barnabus may have to reach the outside world sooner than he thought, because the Green Rubber Suits are about to recycle all Failed Projects . . . and Barnabus doesn't want to be made into a fluffier pet with bigger eyes. He just wants to be himself. So he decides it's time for him and the others to escape. With his little trunk and a lot of cooperation and courage, Barnabus sets out to find freedom -- and a place where he and his friends can finally be accepted for who they are.
This suspenseful, poignant and magical story about following your dreams and finding where you truly belong will draw readers into a surreal, lushly detailed world in which perfection really means being true to yourself and your friends.
WINNER
| 2022 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award
WINNER
| 2022 Red Clover Award
WINNER
| 2022 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award
WINNER
| 2021 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award
NOMINEE
| 2022 Charter Oak Children's Book Award - Fiction
FINALIST
| 2021 Shining Willow Award
SHORTLIST
| 2021 Florida Sunshine State Young Reader's Award
SHORTLIST
| 2021 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
SHORTLIST
| 2021 Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable - Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award
NOMINEE
| 2020 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
WINNER of the 2020 Governor General's Literary Award for Young People — Illustrated Text! WINNER of the 2021 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Prize!
A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year One of Amazon.com’s Best of the Year Picks One of Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids One of Booklist's Editors' Choice Books for Youth 2020 A CBC Books Bestseller A Golden Duck Notable Picture Books List Pick A 2021 Bank Street Book of the Year
PRAISE FOR The Barnabus Project:
"A heartfelt, timely allegory celebrating diversity, bravery, and solidarity." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
"[A]n ambitious drama of rebellion, escape, and inclusivity rewarded." —STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly
"The text and illustrations mesh wonderfully to convey the drama of the escape and the critical roles teamwork and friendship play in the animals’ success." —STARRED REVIEW, Booklist
"A fun tale with a big heart, for all ages and all collections." —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal "In the Fan brothers’ hands, the result feels like a happy amalgam of Jules Verne, Maurice Sendak, the Moomins, and Monsters, Inc."—STARRED REVIEW, Quill & Quire
"A funny and tender picture book. . . . [V]isual surprises and pleasures abound in this cathartic delight for children." —Wall Street Journal
"The story’s exploration of his longing to be free paired with the book’s always timely message of acceptance gives The Barnabus Project mass appeal and a timeless quality.” —BookPage
"An adventure to rival all picture-book adventures." —Shelf Awareness
"When he and his imperfect friends decide to make a break for freedom, you’ll root for them every step of the way." —Evanston Public Library
"The storyline is like blades ever-turning and a twist on a timeless tale which remains fresh." —International Examiner
"Young children will delight in the colourful illustrations while older readers will admire Barnabus for his courage and virtue. The Barnabus Project is a book with wide appeal. It is sure to be a hit." —CM: Review of Canadian Materials
In a world built for Perfect Pets, Barnabus is a Failed Project, half mouse, half elephant, kept out of sight until his dreams of freedom lead him and his misfit friends on a perilous adventure. A stunning picture book from international bestsellers The Fan Brothers, joined by their brother Devin Fan.
Deep underground beneath Perfect Pets, where children can buy genetically engineered "perfect" creatures, there is a secret lab. Barnabus and his friends live in this lab, but none of them is perfect. They are all Failed Projects. Barnabus has never been outside his tiny bell jar, yet he dreams of one day seeing the world above ground that his pal Pip the cockroach has told him about: a world with green hills and trees, and buildings that reach all the way to the sky, lit with their own stars. But Barnabus may have to reach the outside world sooner than he thought, because the Green Rubber Suits are about to recycle all Failed Projects . . . and Barnabus doesn't want to be made into a fluffier pet with bigger eyes. He just wants to be himself. So he decides it's time for him and the others to escape. With his little trunk and a lot of cooperation and courage, Barnabus sets out to find freedom -- and a place where he and his friends can finally be accepted for who they are.
This suspenseful, poignant and magical story about following your dreams and finding where you truly belong will draw readers into a surreal, lushly detailed world in which perfection really means being true to yourself and your friends.
Awards
WINNER
| 2022 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award
WINNER
| 2022 Red Clover Award
WINNER
| 2022 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award
WINNER
| 2021 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award
NOMINEE
| 2022 Charter Oak Children's Book Award - Fiction
FINALIST
| 2021 Shining Willow Award
SHORTLIST
| 2021 Florida Sunshine State Young Reader's Award
SHORTLIST
| 2021 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
SHORTLIST
| 2021 Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable - Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award
NOMINEE
| 2020 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
Praise
WINNER of the 2020 Governor General's Literary Award for Young People — Illustrated Text! WINNER of the 2021 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Prize!
A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year One of Amazon.com’s Best of the Year Picks One of Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids One of Booklist's Editors' Choice Books for Youth 2020 A CBC Books Bestseller A Golden Duck Notable Picture Books List Pick A 2021 Bank Street Book of the Year
PRAISE FOR The Barnabus Project:
"A heartfelt, timely allegory celebrating diversity, bravery, and solidarity." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
"[A]n ambitious drama of rebellion, escape, and inclusivity rewarded." —STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly
"The text and illustrations mesh wonderfully to convey the drama of the escape and the critical roles teamwork and friendship play in the animals’ success." —STARRED REVIEW, Booklist
"A fun tale with a big heart, for all ages and all collections." —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal "In the Fan brothers’ hands, the result feels like a happy amalgam of Jules Verne, Maurice Sendak, the Moomins, and Monsters, Inc."—STARRED REVIEW, Quill & Quire
"A funny and tender picture book. . . . [V]isual surprises and pleasures abound in this cathartic delight for children." —Wall Street Journal
"The story’s exploration of his longing to be free paired with the book’s always timely message of acceptance gives The Barnabus Project mass appeal and a timeless quality.” —BookPage
"An adventure to rival all picture-book adventures." —Shelf Awareness
"When he and his imperfect friends decide to make a break for freedom, you’ll root for them every step of the way." —Evanston Public Library
"The storyline is like blades ever-turning and a twist on a timeless tale which remains fresh." —International Examiner
"Young children will delight in the colourful illustrations while older readers will admire Barnabus for his courage and virtue. The Barnabus Project is a book with wide appeal. It is sure to be a hit." —CM: Review of Canadian Materials
