Blue in the Face

Book excerpt: A rollicking and humorous tale about a reluctant hero saving a world you only thought you knew. Elspeth Pule can throw a tantrum the way a pro quarterback can throw a football. So when her parents refuse to buy her a pet alpaca, she screams, hollers, and holds her breath until she passes out cold. When she wakes, she finds herself in a magical kingdom inhabited by nursery rhyme characters she only thought she knew. Humpty Dumpty is a 007-type spy, Bo-Peep is highly trained in the art of Shaolin stick fighting, and Old King Cole is really Old King Krool, an evil tyrant who has banished Dumpty, Bo-Peep, and their friends to the forest--and to a life of poverty and oppression. Self-centered as she is, Elspeth couldn't care less about their plight. But if she ever wants to see home again, she will have to make a few new friends . . . and show them that sometimes a good old-fashioned tantrum is exactly what's needed. Told in a hilarious voice with black and white illustrations throughout, this "revolutionary" tale is perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Pages & Co.