Blue in the Face

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.

Gerry Swallow is the author of Blue in the Face and its sequel Long Live the Queen, along with, A Whole Nother Story--which received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and was an Al Roker Today Show pick--and its sequels Another Whole Nother Story and No Other Story, all written under the pseudonym Dr. Cuthbert Soup. He began his career as a stand-up comic, making numerous appearances on NBC’s Tonight Show. He then turned his attention to writing movies, including the blockbuster hit, Ice Age: The Meltdown. He lives in Victoria, Canada.

www.awholenotherbook.com

Valerio Fabbretti is the author and illustrator of children’s books and comic books in both the USA and Italy. He was born in Rome and currently lives in San Francisco.

www.valeriofabbretti.com