by Maureen Fergus (Author) Danesh Mohiuddin (Illustrator)
Shrek meets The Paper Bag Princess in this fearsomely funny story about a savvy princess who looks past appearances to befriend an ogre.
Princess Pru's life is practically perfect. She has two loving dads, an ostrich named Orville, and three royal tarantulas. But 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. But then she starts to wonder if the ogre is just lonely.
The unsympathetic townspeople become especially terrified when Oggy the ogre is spotted buying cupcakes and balloons. They receive ominous notes (that look very much like invitations), and the kings are convinced that Oggy wants to make everyone into a stew! But with courage and spunk, Pru heads to the house on the hill to meet Oggy--for a party! All along, Oggy just wanted to make friends--and thanks to Pru, he does.
Whimsical, hand-drawn illustrations and expressive characters perfectly capture this unconventional fairy tale about empathy, belonging, and daring not to follow the crowd.
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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.)
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