Hugo Pepper

February 1, 2007
Gr 3-5-In this third entry in the series, Harvi and Sarvi Runter-Tun-Tun, reindeer herders and cheese makers par excellence, discover a baby on the doorstep of their cabin in the Frozen North. When the child, Hugo Pepper, is 10, he discovers a sled, a gentleman's boot, and a lady's glove-all that remain from his parents, who have been devoured by polar bears. He takes off in an Aeronautical Snow Chariot to find out about his past and lands in Firefly Square. Rescued by a couple of eccentric mermaids, Hugo joins forces with the good people there to rid the town of evil Elliot de Mille, who has taken over the "Firefly Quarterly" to blackmail the citizenry and spread lies and gossip. The action is nonstop, with a wacky cast portrayed in cleverly detailed, spirited illustrations of various sizes, some in silhouette. Inventive touches include a moth-eating dog that lives in a carpet shop and cloud sheep so small and light that their shepherd carries a net to keep them from falling off the mountains. Their wool is used to produce magical flying carpets. The dizzying array of characters propels the story forward at a manic pace. This is just the kind of tongue-in-cheek humor to tickle the funny bones of Lemony Snicket and Philip Aardagh fans, and it is sure to delight readers of Stewart and Riddell's earlier books."Quinby Frank, Green Acres School, Rockville, MD"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2007
In this installment of the Far-Flung Adventures series, 10-year-old Hugo, a foundling raised by reindeer herders, discovers that he is actually the child of ill-fated explorers. Hugo journeys to his parents hometown in search of his true identity and learns that his grandfather has mysteriously disappeared, leaving his esteemed storytelling publication, the Firefly Gazette, in the hands of a unscrupulous gossip slinger. Aided by an eccentric collection of family friends and their inventive wares, Hugo pieces together the mystery of his grandfathers whereabouts, restores the Gazette to its former glory, and unearths pirates booty in the bargain. Brief chapters that alternate between Hugos story and tales of the towns many extraordinary residents underscore this homage to the storytelling tradition and offer creative twists on such familiar conventions as flying carpets and abominable snowmen. The delightful illustrations, which account for a good deal of the books charm, detail the more fantastical elements of the story and are sure to please armchair adventurers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2007
This third volume in Stewart and Riddell's rousing Far-Flung Adventures series begins in folktale fashion with a childless couple finding a swaddled infant and raising it as their own. The couple are reindeer herders and cheesemakers -- they're famous for their "red nose brie" -- in the Frozen North; and the story of their coming across baby Hugo, lying beside the enormous footprints of the snow giants who scared away the polar bears that ate his parents, is just one of many yarns skillfully woven together like the cloud-sheep wool in Hugo's blanket. Riddell's playful, old-fashioned-looking line drawings and silhouettes add to the text's amiable all-but-the-kitchen-sink feel. Hugo's trip via flying sled back to the land of his birth involves pirate treasure; mermaids; magic carpets; whimsical inventions; an elusive, mean-spirited magazine editor who remains secluded Willy Wonka-style in his office building; and an ancient story collector, who, like Stewart and Riddell, knows the true value of "once upon a time..."

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)