The Phantom Tollbooth

Written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Jules Feiffer, The Phantom Tollbooth (1961, Knopf) is a children's book, a modern-day fairy tale full of wordplay.

Related Topics:
Norton Juster - Illustrated - Jules Feiffer - 1961 - Knopf - Children's book

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The Phantom Tollbooth tells the story of a bored boy named Milo who drives through a magic tollbooth into the warring kingdoms of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis, which quarrel endlessly about the advantages of words versus numbers. His pun-rich travels include trips to Conclusions (you jump there, of course) and the silence-filled Valley of Sound, culminating in an attempt to rescue the princesses named Rhyme and Reason, who are guarded by horrible beasts like the Gross Exaggeration and the Threadbare Excuse.

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The Phantom Tollbooth has been compared to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Journey to the West, and the works of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. Juster claims his father's fondness for puns and The Marx Brothers' movies as a major influence.

Related Topics:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Journey to the West - Dr. Seuss - Shel Silverstein - Puns - The Marx Brothers

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