Blue in the Face

December 14, 2015
Absurdist humor characterizes the story of Elspeth Pule, an outrageously spoiled 11-year-old who plunges into a strange nursery rhyme world after holding her breath during a tantrum. There, Elspeth meets famous characters struggling against the despotic Old King Krool and learns some surprising details about their lives and backstories: Humpty Dumpty is a spy for the resistance, and Bo-Peep's sheep were stolenâand devoured by the kingânot "lost." Between chapters, Swallow (who wrote A Whole Nother Story and its sequels as Dr. Cuthbert Soup) includes reworked versions of nursery rhymes that, along with Fabbretti's b&w cartoons, play right into the story's topsy-turvy brand of comedy ("Hey diddle diddle, Krool broke the cat's fiddle,/ The cow was bumped off by his goons"). Elspeth initially spurns claims that Jack and Jill are her true parents and that she's destined to save this world, but she gradually transforms from selfish brat to crusading freedom fighter. Fans of wordplay, puns, and fractured fairy tales should be right at home. Ages 8â12. Author's agent: Cheryl Pientka, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. Illustrator's agency: Shannon Associates.