Princess Pru and the Ogre on the Hill (Princess Pru #1)

by Maureen Fergus (Author) Danesh Mohiuddin (Illustrator)

Princess Pru and the Ogre on the Hill (Princess Pru #1)
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Series: Princess Pru

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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Kirkus Reviews

A lighthearted reminder that first impressions, like appearances, can be deceiving.

Booklist

The ogre is lovable and endearing in his own quirky way, and readers will root for his and Pru's new friendship.

Publishers Weekly

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.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"A lighthearted reminder that first impressions, like appearances, can be deceiving."— "Kirkus Reviews"
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781771475006
Lexile Measure
840
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Owlkids
Publication date
April 20, 2023
Series
Princess Pru
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV012030 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | General
Library of Congress categories
Fiction
Friendship
Picture books
Princesses
Juvenile works
Prejudices
Ghouls and ogres
JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Friendship
JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Prejudice

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