An epistolary novel set on a fictional island off the South Carolina coastline, Ella Minnow Pea brings readers to the hometown of Nevin Nollop, inventor of the pangram “The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog.” Deified for his achievement in life, he has been honored in death with a monument featuring his famous phrase. One day, however, the letter “z” falls from the statue, and the islanders interpret the missing tile as a message from beyond the grave. The letter “z” is banned from use.
On an island where the residents pride themselves on their love of language, this is seen as a tragedy. They are still reeling from the shock when another tile falls. And then another...
In his charming debut, first published in 2001, Mark Dunn takes readers on a journey through the eyes of Ella Minnow Pea, a young woman forced to find another pangram in order to save the islanders' beloved language. And now, nearly seven years after its original publication, this celebrated tale is enhanced with the illustrations of noted graphic designer Tim Brennan, sure to delight a new generation of readers.
