Princess Pru and the ogre on the hill

Princess Pru and the ogre on the hill

Maureen Fergus

Book - 2023

"Princess Pru's life was practically perfect. She had two loving dads, an ostrich named Orville, and three royal tarantulas. And then one day, a ghastly ogre with crusty toenails and goopy ears moves into the house on the hill. At first, Pru sees the ogre as a nuisance: he disrupts her royal rock band practices, weekly tickle tag games, and even the hide-and-seek tournament. The townspeople are also suspicious--everyone knows ogres hate seeing people have fun. But Pru starts to wonder if the ogre is just lonely and asks her dads, the kings, if she can throw him a "Welcome to the Kingdom" party, which her over-protective parents refuse. As alarming reports about the ogre's behavior roll in--he's spotted buying c...upcakes, craft supplies, and balloons--the people of the kingdom are terrified. When they receive ominous notes, which readers, like Pru, will recognize as invitations, the kings imagine the ogre plans to put them all in a stew. But Pru heads for the house on the hill at the appointed time, where she's greeted by the ogre for a party. He simply wanted to make friends. With her courage, Pru clears the way for the others to join the fun, and they spend the afternoon playing games and eating ogre-licious cupcakes with Oggy the ogre, who becomes Pru's fast friend. This heartwarming, humorous story about genuine friendship shows Pru accepting Oggy as he is, ear goop and all, and nudges the reader to do the same and not judge based on appearances."--

Saved in:
Place a Hold Save to List Email this

Children's Room Show me where

jE/Fergus
2 / 2 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
Children's Room jE/Fergus Checked In
Children's Room jE/Fergus Checked In
Subjects
Princesses > Juvenile fiction.
Ghouls and ogres > Juvenile fiction.
Prejudices > Juvenile fiction.
Friendship > Juvenile fiction.
Picture books.
Genres
Picture books
Published
Toronto : Owlkids Books 2023.
Language
English
Main Author
Maureen Fergus (author)
Other Authors
Danesh Mohiuddin (illustrator)
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 24 cm
ISBN
9781771475006
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

It's tough to be the new neighbor in the kingdom, especially if one is a purple-eyebrowed gray ogre who's perceived as "hulky and hairy,/ fearsome and scary." Even so, Princess Pru--who lives a "practically perfect" life with her two dads, ostrich, and three royal tarantulas--would rather he not crash her royal rock band rehearsals or her games of tickle tag. When Princess Pru, portrayed with tan skin, suggests that a welcome party might make the lonely ogre feel better, however, the kings (one depicted with light brown skin and a turban, one shown with lighter skin and a crown) veto the idea. Soon, the ogre's reportedly terrifying behavior--buying snacks, craft supplies, and balloons in the village--signals he's got plans of his own. Though readers will see the denouement coming a mile away, the book's message of inclusion proves the princess's compassionate mettle. Fergus's text balances gross-out humor and contemporary mores, while Mohiuddin's comics-style artwork follows suit in portraying the racially diverse kingdom's arc toward friendliness. Ages 4--7. (Apr.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A princess proves wiser than her royal dads when it comes to figuring out what a newly arrived ogre is up to. It's easy to see how a new neighbor who is "hulking and hairy, / fearsome and scary" could make a bad first impression on everyone in the kingdom--or practically everyone, anyway. Despite a few unfortunate incidents during certain royal events, young Pru thinks he might just be lonely…and so neither she nor cannier readers will share the general terror when he begins buying up cupcakes by the score, a mountain of snacks, gobs of craft supplies, and lots of balloons. And indeed, when she rides up the hill on her ostrich with her three pet tarantulas in tow (Pru's life, Fergus writes, "was practically perfect"), the ensuing party is the best in memory and the beginning of a beautiful friendship. The darker of the tan-skinned princess's dads sports an outsize turban and a handlebar mustache; the other has skin the same color as Pru's. Mohiuddin's humorous cartoon illustrations depict a diverse populace more than willing, once the ice is broken, to give the grinning gray monster the benefit of the doubt. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A lighthearted reminder that first impressions, like appearances, can be deceiving. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Similar Items