The Cozy Classics: Oliver Twist - Hardcover

Jack and Holman Wang are twin brothers who grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. They first began writing and illustrating books together in the third grade.
Jack earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in English with an emphasis in creative writing from Florida State University, where his major area was the history of the novel. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Writing at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, where he specializes in fiction writing.

Holman, an artist and former middle school teacher, holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in architecture history, both from the University of British Columbia. He is the author of Bathroom Stuff, a nonfiction coffee table book on the history of everything in your bathroom, published by SourceBooks in 2001. His work has been featured in newspapers and on TV and radio, including NPR and the CBC.

Jack has three and one year-old daughters. Holman has a two year-old daughter and a six month-old son. They both love reading to their children, and they’re both eager to pass on the classics.

""Enchanting... Jack and Holman Wang have done a service to literate families everywhere with their Cozy Classics"" ~ The Wall Street Journal (Meghan Cox Gurdon The Wallstreet Journal)

""Enchanting... Jack and Holman Wang have done a service to literate families everywhere with their Cozy Classics"" ~ The Wall Street Journal
 
“Remarkable."" -The Telegraph (UK)
 
""Quite simply, delightful."" -The Paris Review
 
""...a child-appropriate retelling of the original story, so adorable it makes our hearts hurt."" - Vulture.com
 
""What is Cozy Classics, you might ask? Well, they are a series of board books that adapt classic literature for babies. And boy, are they cute. The books tell the stories of classics using just one word per page, with felt crafted characters. The authors and illustrators are twins Holman and Jack Wang. In the press release, Jack notes: “We created Cozy Classics to revitalize the genre of the baby word books by injecting a sense of narrative and fun for the parent. In doing so, we hope to foster in children a lifelong love of reading and literature.” The books actually tell the novels fairly well (or those who have already read them). Holman states: ""Unlike Barney and Dora, Moby Dick’s Ishmael and Pride & Prejudice’s Elizabeth Bennett are characters that children will never outgrow. We couldn't agree more."" - Huffington Post
 
""It took 200 years to get it to 12 words... Each word is carefully selected to relate to a child’s world and works even without any reference to the original. ""If you, as a parent, can fill in some of the original tale as part of the reading experience, so much the better! The Cozy Classics website also offers parents story synopses, quotes, and other tools to help keep the story alive as your child grows."" - Book Patrol: A Haven for Book Culture
 
""Can you imagine? By combining needle felting, scale model-making, photography and an extraordinary talent for editing, the creators have made it possible for parents all over the world to say “My 3-year-old just finished reading Moby Dick. He’s reading War and Peace next... and what about your child?” - Jolly Reindeer Website
 
""As a fan of great literature, we were delighted when we received “Moby Dick"" and ""Pride and Prejudice"". These are not the typical large tomes but interpretations especially for baby. We just love reading them to baby. Jack and Holman Wang did a wonderful job on these books and they will always be in baby's book collection.""  -  A List Baby
 
""Classics because they are classic stories and cozy because the illustrations are made from felt! Who would have thought you could re-tell Pride and Prejudice in just 12 words – Friends, Sisters, Dance... A fun way to share your love of literature with the littlest people in the house or the perfect gift for the Austen and Melville fans."" - Kids' Reading Guide 2012, Australia
 
""Known as Cozy Classics, these books, rather than picking out small details of the stories, and using them as a counting primer (as in 1 governess, 2 rich gentleman) instead give us an abridged (obviously, as they only use twelve words - but such a masterful pick!) account of the tale. The twelve needle-felted illustrations are exquisite."" - LoveDecorateLetters Blogspot?
 
Why not draw upon some of the world's best literary classics when writing for children - in this case, babies. Brothers Jack Wang and Holman Wang's forthcoming series of board books rewrite (in a LOT fewer words) your high school English syllabus and depict the stories through needle felted figures (hence the ""cozy"").”  - Apartment Therapy
 
“While surfing the net today, I found the most adorable new baby board books based on classics! Cozy Classics feature photos of needle-felted figures as the illustrations. They are published by Simply Read Books and written and illustrated by Jack Wang and Holman Wang. They are really retro to me in a great way. What a great way to introduce little ones to the classics!” - In the Hammock Blogspot
 
""Super cute! 12 appropriate words + 12 amazingly creative felt scenes = 1 of the cutest and cleverest books ever! And it's a board book! The Pride and Prejudice installment of the new Cozy Classics series by the brothers Wang is so fun and clever! Perfect for the parents who want to start 'em out on classics young. And seriously? Perfect for anyone who loves the classics if only for the illustrations!"" - Book Adventures Blog
 
"" By offering vibrant, needle-felted character photography and scale model illustrations, Cozy Classics makes timeless works such as Moby Dick and Pride and Prejudice accessible to even the newest reader in just twelve words.  Words like “sisters,” “boat,” and “friends,” may not convey the plot of War and Peace, but it makes a wonderful introduction to some great books.  Parents fill in the blanks of the story as needed or even allow the children to offer predictions what might happen next. Having kids make plot predictions not only helps them read, but introduces patterns and sequences that create a connection to the written word.  And you can’t get any more classic than that."" - Parents' Choice