Product Description

A brilliantly inventive, fabulously illustrated addition to the Far- Flung Adventures series from the award-winning, bestselling author and
illustrator team Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. Set in the same world as the Fergus Crane and Corby Flood stories, this is the tale of a small boy, Hugo Pepper, and his amazing exploits. Raised in the Frozen North by reindeer herders, his parents eaten by polar bears when he was just a baby, Hugo discovers that the sled they arrived in has a very special compass—one that can be set to "Home." And so Hugo arrives in Firefly Square—to discover a group of very special friends, and a dastardly enemy. With three-toed snowmen, a secret buried treasure, and a host of fabulous stories, this is a fantastic new tale in this series.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39069 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-13
• Released on: 2007-02-13
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 7.31" h x 1.02" w x 5.83" l, .70 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 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 © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
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 parent's 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 grandfather's whereabouts, restores the Gazette to its former glory, and unearths pirate's booty in the bargain. Brief chapters that alternate between Hugo's story and tales of the town's 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 book's charm, detail the more fantastical elements of the story and are sure to please armchair adventurers. Kristen McKulski
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Paul Stewart is a highly regarded author of books for young readers. He lives in Brighton, England.

Chris Riddell, is an award-winning illustrator and political cartoonist. He lives in Brighton, England.