Far-Flung Adventures: Hugo Pepper [Kindle Edition]

Chris Riddell (Author), Paul Stewart (Author)

Editorial Reviews

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

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 7356 KB
• Print Length: 272 pages
• Publisher: David Fickling Books (December 18, 2008)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001O1O7VM
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #329,546 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous series for young (or young at heart) readers, May 17, 2007

By 

Matthew T. Carpenter (Peoria, IL, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Far-Flung Adventures: Hugo Pepper (Hardcover)

Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell first came to attention with their intriguing series, the Edge Chronicles. These books conformed to a recent trend in children's books of having well made hardcover editions sized for young readers' hands filled with Mr. Riddell's brilliant illustrations. I have been reading this series to my two sons, age 7 and 8. The difficulty is that as attractive as these books are, the Edge Chronicles are not really appropriate for younger readers. There is some complex psychology of guilt and blame, some very gory descriptions and deaths, and some quite scary moments. I have had to edit as I read aloud, and even skip a few paragraphs.

This is to put into context what a joy the Far Flung Adventures series is. You get the same clever plot, whimsical inventions, incredibly beautiful illustrations and striking characters we have come to expect from this creative team. However, it is all very much accessible to kids under age 12. There may be danger or the threat of violence but there is no imagery or description that would give a parent pause. The protagonists in all the books are younger than the Edge books, making it easy for kids to identify with the heros/heroines.

My boys have loved Fergus Crane and Corby Flood, and were swept away with Hugo Pepper. They love leafing through the book to look at the illustrations, unfolding the gorgeous map and referring back to the earlier books to characters and events referred to in the latest installment. They are captivated by the plot and held breathless by the adventure.

In this book Hugo Pepper comes back to Harbor Heights from the Frozen North on a flying sled, and lands in the middle of a mystery that involves dastardly deeds, conniving characters and perhaps lost pirate treasure.

If your children are fans of Spiderwick or Harry Potter they are in for a real treat! Did I mention I liked it too?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go for Hugo, March 31, 2007

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Far-Flung Adventures: Hugo Pepper (Hardcover)

This is the third book in the "Far Flung Adventures" series by the dynamic duo that gave us "The Edge Chronicles". This adventure series is for younger readers from about eight, and each book includes a fold out map cleverly disguised as a dust jacket.

Although each one can be read on its own, you should still read Far-Flung Adventures: Fergus Crane (Far-Flung Adventures) and Far-Flung Adventures: Corby Flood (Far-Flung Adventures), because there are sneaky references to these highly imaginative books in Hugo Pepper.

In a nutshell, young Hugo Pepper is rescued from the perils of the Frozen North by a couple of reindeer herders after his parents become the special of the day for a pack of marauding polar bears. Ten years later, he sets off to find his real home, and lands up in Firefly Square, where he meets a cast of eccentric and magical characters, including land-loving mermaids, tea-blenders, moth-eating dogs, and cloud sheep whose wool is in high demand, to say the least. The villains in this book are exceptional also - a snooping, conniving cat lady and an editor with an axe to grind who controls a work force of snow monsters.

Filled with action, adventure, intrigue and even treasure-hunting, this book is another must-read from Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell.


Amanda Richards, March 31, 2007

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, February 7, 2010

By 

Mary (South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Far-Flung Adventures: Hugo Pepper (Hardcover)

I loved this book. The storyline is wonderful and the illustrations even better! Chris & Paul you have created an amazing book, which I love reading to my children at bedtime, and would secretly like to sneak off and enjoy in the middle of the day too! Thank you!!