Happy Anniversary, Phantom Tollbooth!

Mon, 04/09/2012 - 11:58am by Grace22

This beloved children's adventure novel and modern fairy tale first published in 1961 was written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Jules Feiffer. It tells the story of Milo, a boy bored by the world around him; every activity seems a waste of time. One afternoon he receives a mysterious package that contains a miniature tollbooth and a map of "the Lands Beyond". Having nothing better to do, he decides to drive through it in his toy car. He finds himself in a land called the Kingdom of Wisdom. He meets the "watchdog" Tock, who becomes his companion, has many adventures, and goes on a quest to rescue the princesses of the kingdom, Princess Rhyme and Princess Reason, from the castle of air. Wonderful and surprising plays on words and puns are an important part of the story.

We have two different editions of the book on BOCD, one narrated by Norman Dietz, and the other performed by David Hyde Pierce.

The CBS Sunday Morning show aired a segment yesterday celebrating the fiftieth anniversary, with a profile of the author and the illustrator.