First published forty years ago, Big Top Benn, by author and illustrator David McKee, became a cult classic. Its combination of intense watercolors and detailed pen-and-ink drawings make it a beautiful book to read and to treasure. Mr. Benn is an ordinary man who has extraordinary adventures. He swaps his top hat and black suit for an extravagant clown costume and finds himself transported into a world of big-top tents and circus performers. This entrancing book brings to a new generation the glories of a golden age of children"s book illustration and storytelling.