Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free digital advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Title: Princess Pru and the Ogre on the Hill
Author: Maureen Fergus
Illustrator: Danesh Mohiuddin
Publication Date: April 18, 2023
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Book Description:
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.
My Thoughts:
This is a familiar premise for a children’s story. A grumpy character is misunderstood, but the protagonist sees the goodness underneath. The fun illustrations and storyline add a quirkiness to the familiar tale that children will love.