Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdom of Spiff - Hardcover

Weston, Robert Paul

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670063975 ISBN 13: 9780670063970

Publisher: Puffin Canada, 2013

Synopsis

Puggly, the newly crowned prince of the muddy (and very unfashionable) Kingdom of Spud, is surprised when he receives an invitation to a lavish ball in the oh-so-chic Kingdom of Spiff. The Spiffians are known for the poshest clothes and the fluffiest wigs, so of course Prince Puggly's effort at a grand entrance only ends in humiliation. However, Puggly discovers an unlikely ally in Francesca, the bookish Princess of Spiff. Not only do her Spiffian countrymen have no appreciation for her interest in Proust and Dickens, but they also can't tell a decent pair of pyjamas when they see them! But don't worry: Francesca and Puggly have one very good trick up their unfashionable sleeves, as they set out to teach the Spiffs an absurd lesson in style.

About this title

About the Author:

Robert Paul Weston is the author of several internationally award-winning books for children and young adults. His first novel, Zorgamazoo, won the Silver Birch Award, the Audie Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and an E.B. White Read Aloud Honor. His second novel was the hard-boiled fairy tale Dust City, which was a Canadian Library Association Young Adult Honour Book and was shortlisted for both the Red Maple Award and the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Mystery. His recent novel, The Creature Department, is shortlisted for the Silver Birch Award.

From Booklist:

A kingdom enslaved to fashion is set free by the unstylish Prince of Spud and his soon-to-be consort, the bookish Princess of Spiff. In his third fantasy for young readers, Weston returns to the format of his fanciful Zorgamazoo (2008), with rhyming couplets, extensive font manipulation, and humorous, chapter-opening line drawings. In this silly saga of embarrassment and retaliation at the Spiffian Centenary Ball, Prince Puggly and Princess Fran discover each other and find a way to mock the stylish partygoers before returning to Spud, where they can dress as they please. Accurately labeling this as a “meandering tale,” the author reveals all in the end. Much of the humor comes from exaggerations of dress: Fran’s pajamas “printed with boats,” Puggly’s “polka-dot breeches that sag in the butt,” and a ’60s-style shaman whose turban sports a daisy. Occasional rhythmic hiccups, repetitions, and strained humor demonstrate just how difficult it is to write nonsense verse. Still, these couplets beg to be read aloud, as the playful language and satisfying story have extensive middle-grade appeal. Grades 3-6, --Kathleen Isaacs

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin Canada
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0670063975
• ISBN 13: 9780670063970
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224