Provo Library Children's Book Blog

The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit By, Emma Thompson Illustrated by, Eleanor Taylor Penguin Group, London, England 2013 67 Pages A sweet new Christmas book, based on a classic.  This wonderful new version of Peter Rabbit, is told this time by Emma Thompson!  Peter and Benjamin, cousins and rabbits, set about to save their friend William the Turkey from being the McGregor's Christmas dinner.  They have trouble hiding him though, as he insists on keeping his feathers fluffed up and fanned out! (He's a very proud turkey.)  In the end their creativity and kindness win out.  A great story about friendship, empathy, and Christmas!

  Gregor the Overlander ( book ) ( book on cd ) By Suzanne Collins When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, the y trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy. The Amulet of Samarkand ( book ) ( book on cd ) By Jonathan Stroud Nathaniel, a magician's apprentice, summons up the djinni Bartimaeus and instructs him to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from the powerful magician Simon Lovelace. Countdown ( book ) ( book on cd ) By Deborah Wiles Twelve-year-old Franny Chapman lives with her family in Washington, DC, during the days surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. Amidst the pervasive threat of nuclear war, Franny must face the tension between herself and her younger brother, figure out where she fits in with her family, and look beyond outward appearances. The Shadows ( book ) ( book on cd ) By Jacqueline West When el

A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle Abrams, 2012.  201 pgs. Fiction      Mary O'Hara loves  her granny, but hates going to the hospital to see her, and hates that her best friend has moved away. In the midst of her troubles, she meets an old woman outside her house.  Her name is Tansie. She knows Mary without asking her name, and gives her a message--"Tell your granny it'll all be grand," she says. By and by we discover that Tansie is the spirit of Mary's granny's mother who died of influenza when her daughter was a very little girl. Never having felt that she had been able to say a proper goodbye she has lingered near her daughter until now, as Mary's granny, she is herself soon to die. A Greyhound of a Girl is a lovely, very Irish, short little book about family connections and the love that endures beyond this life. Don't be put off by the plainish cover.  This book is beautifully well-written and filled with peace.

Murilla Gorilla: Jungle Detective Written by Jennifer Lloyd Illustrated by Jacqui Lee Simply Read Books, 2013. 41 pages. Easy reader.  When Ms. Chimpanzee discovers her magnificent banana muffins have been stolen, she calls Murilla Gorilla (of "The Murilla Gorilla Detective Agency") to solve the crime. Murilla, a beautiful slob, digs through her bathtub full of odds and ends to find her badge, then slowly makes her way to the Mango Market to start her case. The trail of suspects, all jungle friends, leads Murilla nowhere. But, her idea to dress in disguise to catch the muffin thief proves promising. Her backpack of disguises (mailbox, fire hydrant, banana tree) is laugh out loud funny, and helps her get the crook in the end. This easy reader is the perfect blend of darling illustrations and witty humor. Boys and girls alike will love Murilla Gorilla- check out her next adventure in Murilla Gorilla and the Lost Parasol .

I'd Know You Anywhere, My Love Written and Illustrated by Nancy Tillman Feiwel and Friends, 2013.  Unpaged.  Picture Book A perfect read-aloud for younger children, this sweet story conveys the deep love of mothers for their children.  Mom tells her little one that even if one day he decides to be a rhinoceros, he is so special that she would know him by his "magical smile."  The prospect of becoming many other animals follows, but Mom always has a special way that she will still know him.  Stunning illustrations of animals, both exotic and well known, fill the pages that communicate the uniqueness of each child.  Young ones will enjoy this tender reminder of their self-worth.

A Splash of Red:  The Life and Art of Horace Pippin Written by Jen Bryant.  Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Alfred A. Knopf, 2013.  Unpaged.  Picture Book This delightful biography picture book tells the story of the mostly self-taught Horace Pippin and how he became a famous and well-respected folk artist.  Through charming and easy-to-understand language, Bryant describes Pippin's childhood in the late 1800s and the many odd jobs he worked as a teen and young adult.  She tells of his experiences as a soldier in World War I and how his war injury actually leads him back to his love of art.  Pippin's spirit and determination are evident as he gradually makes his way from the charcoal drawings of his childhood to the exhibition of his paintings in the most well-known art museums around the world.  Sweet's illustrations, created in Pippin's style, include inspirational quotes from Pippin and are the perfect complement to this enchanting story.

  Sure Signs of Crazy By Karen Harrington Little, Brown, and Company, 2013.  280 pages.  Fiction. Sarah Nelson is not your average 12-year-old girl.  Living in Texas with her father in the shadow of the "big family secret" makes life challenging, to say the least.  However, with the help of a wise English teacher and a summer writing assignment, Sarah finds a mentor and a friend in the fictional Atticus Finch.  The story's premise is heavy, with Sarah's mother having been committed to a mental institution and her father battling alcoholism.  However, humor abounds as Sarah embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help of Atticus, her babysitter Charlotte, her elderly neighbor Mrs. Dupree, and her best friend--a plant.  Throw in her quirky obsession with words, her first real crush, and a new found courage, and Sarah has all the elements for a memorable summer.  In Sure Signs of Crazy , Harrington has skillfully created an enjoyable, wacky, and hear

The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown Houghton Mifflin, 2013. 80 pgs. Nonfiction      A short but powerful history of the Dust Bowl years in the United States, going back to the geological beginning when the Great Plains were formed, and then describing how farming destroyed native grasses and let drought and wind pull the land up into the air. The sorrow, devastation, and helplessness of that time are beautifully and terribly illuminated by the extraordinarily gifted Mr. Brown. For students and other interested persons of all ages The Great American Dust Bowl truly conveys the damage to body and soul of the Dust Bowl years in an easy to read, deeply memorable format. Recommended for older children.

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell Simon & Schuster, 2013. 277 pgs. Fiction      When the ship on which she and her mother were passengers sank, the baby girl who became known as Sophie was discovered floating in a cello case and was rescued by Charles Maxim, a down-at-the-heels professor who decided since he found her, he must raise her. Charles doesn't know much about children, but he knows how to love Sophie, and they live happily together for a number of years until the British version of social services decides a bachelor doesn't know anything about raising children and decides to remove her to an orphanage.  Sophie is so angry she whangs away at her cello case and as bits fall off, she finds a plaque that says the case was made in France.  Suddenly, for the first time in her life, she has a lead for finding her lost mother, who was on the ship with her and presumably drowned. Charles and Sophie run headlong into a stonewalling bureaucracy in France, from whom they

The Reader by Amy Hest, illustrated by Lauren Castillo Amazon, 2013. Unpaged.  Picture Book      The unnamed Reader is a small boy who takes his dog, his sled, his satchel filled with treats and a warm drink, and a sturdy brown suitcase out into the snow for a day of fun. The Reader pulls his sled to the tippy top of a very tall hill while the dog waits patiently. They make snow angels, and the boy throws snowballs for the dog to chase.  They share treats and a warm drink. Then the boy opens his suitcase and takes out a book:  Two Good Friends.  He reads the dog a story, his voice the only sound on a snowy day.  Then they get on the sled and ride down the hill . . . faster, faster, faster . . . .  And back home again. The Reader in your family may want to share this book on a snowy day, in a warm  home.

Zayde Comes to Live by Sheri Sinykin, illustrated by Kristina Swarner Peachtree, 2013. Unpaged. Picture Book     Rachel's grandfather--her zayde--comes to live with her family because he is dying. He can only play with her for a few minutes a day, and he runs out of breath while reading her stories. Rachel wants to know what will happen to him when he goes. Her friend Megan has described the Christian heaven to her, and her friend Hakim has described the Muslim paradise. Rachel's family is Jewish. Rabbi Lev tells her Zayde will live "until the moment he dies." And Zayde himself tells her that though his body will be gone, his spirit will live on. It is hard to imagine a more tender, gentler story for children needing to deal with a death in their family. So well done, and beautifully well illustrated.

Un Dragón a Dieta Carles Cano, Illustraded by Fran Bravo Editorial Everest, S.A., 30 pg., Picture Book Dragon is so big, one day, finally he decides to go on a diet. He set out fine linen, fine china, and of course his best silver set. All the fan fare to eat just one olive, and of course, he eats it whole, with pit and all. A few minutes latter he has the worst tummy ache he has ever had. He calls the doctor who comes as soon as possible and a whole set of events happen. This is the cutest and funny book I read in a while. The whole family will enjoy it! Este dragón es tan grande que  un día decide ponerse a dieta. Cubre la mesa con mantel de lino fino, pone su loza fina, y por supuesto sus cubiertos de plata. Toda la fanfarronada para comer solo una aceituna, y por supuesto se la come de un bocado, con pepa y todo. En unos minutos, se retuerce del peor dolor de estomago que ha  tenido en su vida. Llama al doctor, el cual viene tan pronto como puede y comienza a pasar una s

The Greatest Dinosaur Ever by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrated by Gennady Spirin Henry Holt, 2013. Unpaged. Nonfiction      One thing youngsters can mostly agree on:  there can never be too many dinosaur books. Brenda Guiberson and Gennady Spirin's latest is a case in point. From beginning to end, this richly illustrated text is a running argument among the dinosaurs themselves as to who is the greatest. Naturally Spinosaurus thinks he is the greatest because he was the longest carnivore; Tyrannosaurus Rex begs to differ, as does Therizinosaurus (THER-ih-ZIN-oh-SORE-us), who had "weird, gigantic arms and could cut down plants with [his] three-foot-long-claws." Troodon, Leaellynasaura (certainly the hardest to pronounce name among the dinosaurs) and Archaeopteryx make a case for themselves, as does Oviraptor, for being the best mother amongst the dinosaurs. In the end, the greatest dinosaur ever was . . . wait--you get to choose for yourself! Gennady Spirin's fi

Big Snow by Jonathan Bean Farrar Straus Giroux, 2013. Unpaged. Picture Book      Anxious for winter fun to begin, David asks his mother when it will snow. She doesn't know, but asks him to help her make cookies while he is waiting for the storm to begin. But the flour reminds him of snow so he runs outside to check.  Then the cleaner foam reminds him of snow while he he is helping his mother clean the bathroom, and the white sheets remind him of snow when he is helping her change the bedding. Suddenly there is a loud stomping outside the house--Dad is home early.  And why is he home early?  It's snowing! This delightful picture book combines word and text to charming effect as a young boy takes joy in the season, and the weather thereof.

Saving Birds: Heroes Around the World By Pete Salmansohn Profiles adults and children working in six habitats around the world to save wild birds, some of which are on the brink of extinction. American Environmental Heroes By Phyllis M. Stanley A collective biography of ten American environmentalists, including Henry David Thoreau, Rachel Carson, Sylvia Earle, and George Washington Carver. Peaceful Heroes By Jonah Winter Presents a tribute to fourteen people that risked their lives to help others and make the world a better place. Heroes By Ken Mochizuki Japanese American Donnie, whose playmates insist he be the "bad guy" in their war games, calls on his reluctant father and uncle to help him get away from that role. Heroes for My Daughter By Brad Meltzer Collects the stories of fifty-five extraordinary heroes and ideal role models for girls, including Abraham Lincoln, Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, Helen Keller, Anne Frank, Theod

The Night Before Christmas By Clement Clarke Moore A well-known poem about an important Christmas Eve visitor.   Cranberry Christmas By Wende Devlin Mr. Whiskers faces a gloomy Christmas until Maggie and her grandmother help him straighten out his house and find the deed to the nearby pond.   Olive, the Other Reindeer By J. Otto Seibold Thinking that "all of the other reindeer" she hears people singing about include her, Olive the dog reports to the North Pole to help Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.   Dewey's Christmas at the Library By Vicki Myron After finding a red ball of yarn, Dewey the cat, who lives in the Spencer, Iowa public library, finds a way to help decorate the Christmas tree.   I Spy Christmas: A Book of Picture Riddles By Walter Wick Rhymes invite the reader to find hidden objects in photographs of Christmas items.

Candy Counting: Delicious Ways to Add and Subtract By Lisa McCourt Presents addition and subtraction story problems involving lollipops, taffy, gumballs, peppermints, fudge, and other types of candy. Help Me Learn Addition By Jean Marzollo This book teaches children how to connect numbers with a value and introduces them to mathematical equations.   Twizzlers Percentages Book By Jerry Pallotta This book features wonderfully wacky characters interacting with Twizzlers to illustrate the concept of percentages. As he's done with fractions, addition, and counting, Pallotta makes learning fun in the light, relaxed way that has become his trademark.    More M&M's Math By Barbara Barbieri McGrath Rhyming text and illustrations use candy to teach mathematical skills and concepts such as estimation, graph interpretation, division, multiplication, factoring, and problem solving.   The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Fractions Book By Jerry Pallott

Top 10 Birds for Kids By Wendy Mead What type of bird should I get? Birds come in all different colors and sizes. Some are loud, others are quiet. This book can help you pick the best pet for you and your family. The top 10 birds are approved by the American Humane Association and are listed alphabetically. Freshwater Fish By Tristan Boyer Binns This book explores the fun parts about keeping fish as pets. It describes how to properly care for a fish including feeding and aquarium care. The book also includes expert tips on fish care. Top 10 Small Mammals for Kids By Ann Gaines Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and other small mammals make great pets. They may all be cute and fuzzy, but each animal is special. This book can help you pick the best pet for you and your family. The top 10 small mammals are approved by the American Humane Association and are listed alphabetically. Cats: How to Choose and Care for a Cat By Laura S. Jeffrey Provides inf

Bomb: The Race to Build- and Steal- the World's Most Dangerous Weapon By Steve Sheinkin Recounts the scientific discoveries that enabled atom splitting, the military intelligence operations that occurred in rival countries, and the work of brilliant scientists hidden at Los Alamos. Ungifted By Gordon Korman  Due to an administrative mix-up, troublemaker Donovan Curtis is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students, after pulling a major prank at middle school. Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust  By Doreen Rappaport Through twenty-one meticulously researched accounts-- some chronicled in book form for the first time-- Doreen Rappaport illuminates the defiance of tens of thousands of Jews across eleven Nazi-occupied countries during World War II. Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 By Sally M. Walker  When two ships collided in Halifax Harb

Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg Written by Lori Mortensen, illustrated by Michael Allen Austin. Clarion Books, 2013.  32 pages. Cowpoke Clyde has finished his work for the day and is ready to put up his feet and relax for awhile; that is, until he remembers that it's time to give his faithful dog (aka "Dirty Dawg") a bath.  Now bathing a dog is never an easy chore, but attempting it on a big ranch with even more animals around provides lots of opportunity for trouble!  Hilarity ensues, and little ones will be tickled by the rowdy illustrations and cowboy drawl in this rip-roaring rhyming adventure!

Warning: Do Not Open This Book! by Adam Lehrhaupt, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2013. Unpaged. Picture Book The reader is properly warned--several times--to not open this book or to turn any  pages, because trouble is coming if they do. And trouble is exactly what you will get if you persist in reading onward. But never has trouble been so much fun! Small children will giggle and laugh their way through each new page, breathless to discover what could possibly happen next--but only if they give into temptation and turn just ONE more page. If you do decide to risk cracking open this clever little picture book adventure--watch out for the monkeys . . .

The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt Atheneum, 2013.  326 pgs. Fiction      Two young racoons, Bingo and J'Miah, are the true blue scouts whose job it is to wake the Sugar Man if ever the Bayou Tourterelle is in grave danger. Trouble is, the Sugar Man is very hard to wake, and no one knows exactly where he sleeps except his true blue guardian swamp rattler Gertrude, a very large snake, indeed.  Bingo and J'Miah live in an abandoned DeSoto, covered with swamp vines and no longer functional except for the radio which comes on occasionally when a lightning storm strikes the swamp, and then the true blue scouts must listen to The Voice and do what it tells them because it always speaks the truth.  Chap Brayburn a young tall boy lives with his mother on the edge of the swamp which they both love, and he and the true blue scouts have to join forces to save the swamp from Clydine and Buzzie and their gang of wild hogs, and from Sunny Boy Beaucoup and Jaeger S

Ol' Clip-Clop by Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by Eric Velasquez Holiday House, 2013. Unpaged. Picture Book      "The year was 1741. The month was October. The day was Friday the thirteenth."  Thus begins Patricia McKissack's story of John Peel, a mean-spirited, dark-hearted landlord who was unusually happy on this day because he was going to put the Widow Mayes out of her house for owing back rent. As he rode down the cobblestones to her house, the clip-clop of his horse's hooves was echoed by someone following behind. When he stopped, the other noise stopped.  When he rode on, it began again. At the Widow Mayes' he is upset to discover she has the money to pay her rent, but he slips one of her coins into his boot so she will still come up short, then grudgingly gives her until the next morning to find the remaining money. As he started home again, he heard harsh laughter on the wind, and then the clippity-clopping begans in earnest. At home he q

How Big Were Dinosaurs? by Lita Judge Roaring Brook Press, 2013. Unpaged. Nonfiction.      Most of us think of dinosaurs as having been enormous creatures who could squish you with a step, had you been around at the time. Lita Judge's delightful new book talks about the big ones, but also describes dinosaurs of all sizes, in terms of modern animals that children will know.  The Microraptor, for instance, "was a deadly hunter, but he would barely be able to look a modern-day chicken in the eye." The dreaded velociraptor, of Jurassic Park fame, was only about the size of a medium-sized dog--say, a Labrador--and could have been taken for a walk if you could find a leash that would keep him from biting your kneecaps off. Judge polishes off the dinosaur world with Argentinosaurus, as long as four school buses and weighing more than seventeen elephants, "probably the biggest animal ever to walk on land." The genius of Judge's book lies in her attractive pict

How to Train a Train by Jason Carter Eaton, illustrated by John Rocco Candlewick, 2013. Unpaged. Picture Book.      Kids have all different kinds of pets, but if you want a pet train a little extra work may be involved.  First you have to catch one.  Some children corner their trains, or use a very large net. Some run the tracks into quicksand, though that has some follow-up problems. Best of all is to coax the train to come home with you using smoke signals, flattery, chunks of coal leading to you--all the things you might do with any other wild creature. Eaton and Rocco's truly delightful picture book not only explains how to get a train for a pet, but how to take care of it and to teach it tricks. Like the beloved Shark vs. Train before it, How to Train a Train has just the right combination of goofballness and child-friendly logic to make it a long-time favorite.

Who Goes There? by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Anna Currey Simon and Schuster, 2013. Unpaged. Picture Book      Lewis Mouse is all ready for winter. He has stuffed his hollow tree home with leaves to keep himself warm. He has laid in acorns and apples to eat during the cold months. But something is missing and he doesn't know what. Also, Lewis is nervous as he hears a scritch scratch tap tap and imagines a great  horned owl, or a sneaky old cat. But when he discovers his real scritchy scratchy neighbor, Joy, the other mouse he invites her into his own cozy burrow.  Now nothing is missing.

Little Santa Written and Illustrated by John Agee Dial Books for Young Readers, 2013. Unpaged picture book. As a little guy, Santa loves his home in the North Pole. But his family, including Mom, Dad, and six siblings (Larry, Mary, Willy, Millie, Joey, and Zoe), are ready to move on to warmer climes. Sadly, their plans are dashed when an epic blizzard strands them all indoors. Santa shimmies up the chimney, out into the snow, and finds a magical reindeer who joins him on his quest for help. The help comes in the form of dozens of hardworking elves. Little Santa is a fun, imaginative story of how Santa Claus came to be. This story is sure to become a Christmas classic. In a word, Agee's artwork is adorable. Details like Little Santa's red footie jammies and round little belly are delightful and really make this a visual treat.

Lion vs. Rabbit by Alex Latimer Peachtree, 2013.  Unpaged.  Picture Book      "Lion was mean to everyone."  And everyone was fed up with it, but no one was brave enough to do anything about it.  Along comes Rabbit, whose stats at the beginning of the book show his total inferiority to Lion except in the brains division where Lion scores a 2/10 and Rabbit scores a 9/10. The animals offer a reward for anyone willing to take on Lion, but no one succeeds until along comes rabbit who is allowed to choose his own contests. He wins marshmallow eating, painting, hopping, and the Quiz Show.  Lion whines and moans and makes excuses every time he loses until Rabbit tells him to pick the contest.  Lion figures he can for sure beat rabbit in a race to the top of the mountain, especially since he starts before the starter's pistol is fired.  But every time he thinks he has a big lead, he sees Rabbit up ahead. Thoroughly defeated, Lion finally agrees to quit bullying the other a

Giving Thanks:  Poems, Prayers, and Praise Songs of Thanksgiving edited by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton Handprint Books, 2013. 53 pgs. Nonfiction      If you are inclined to skip over Thanksgiving and move right ahead to Christmas, at least pull over and peruse Katherine Paterson's new collection.  From "Amazing Grace" to Johnny Appleseed's blessing on the food, to a Pueblo blessing, Ms. Paterson has given us a beautiful assemblage of reasons to be thankful and words to express our gratitude. Her own interleaved essays are models of grace, humility, and memorable prose. Take a moment with this book. You'll be glad you did.

Snowflakes Fall Written by Patricia MacLachlan Illustrated by Steven Kellogg Random House Books for Young Readers, 2013. Unpaged picture book. Snowflakes Fall is, at surface level, a sweet story about snowflakes and their individuality; how they fly where they are meant to fly, how all are uniquely beautiful. The underlying theme is the tragic loss of the children at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December. This poetic tribute is touching, while still being child-appropriate. I wish I'd read this with Kleenex handy, because it's a symbolic, tender read. Steven Kellogg skillfully represents the lively exuberance of children playing in a snowstorm, with their rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes. Patricia MacLachlan, as always, uses the best of words: "Wailing wings may blow And frantic, icy snowflakes    scratch the window glass. Branches fly And shadows    darken dreams. But then-when we wake in the morning light-     Surprise!     The world shines!"

Ladybug Girl: Who Can Play? Written by David Soman and Jacky Davis Illustrated by Les Castellanos Penguin Young Readers, 2013. 32 pages. Easy reader. Welcome to the easy reader family, Ladybug Girl and Bug Squad! In this story, Ladybug Girl discovers that it is no fun to play alone. Two can play, three can play, even a puppy can play. The simple, predictable text is great for beginning readers, and the artwork is as adorable as in the picture books.

The Animal Book Written and Illustrated by Steve Jenkins Houghton Mifflin, 2013. 208 pages. Nonfiction. The Animal Book is the ultimate animal guide, written and illustrated by the masterful Steve Jenkins. It is organized into categories from the basics ("What is an animal?") to the wild ("Hottest, coldest, highest, deepest"). Some sections have dozens of animal images, which would work as a visual guide for even the youngest of readers. Other chapters feature in-depth information and graphs for more advanced animal lovers. Check out the animal gestation page: housefly eggs hatch in one day, brine shrimp take 15 years. Mammal gestation ranges from opossums at 12 days to an elephant at 640 days! This is a fantastic, interesting encyclopedia of animals and their lives. A must-buy. (I also love the bonus at the back: How Mr. Jenkins creates his books!)

Magic Colors Written and illustrated by Patrick George Boxer Books Limited, 2013. Nonfiction picture book. Magic Colors is not an ordinary picture book about colors. It is a lesson in color combinations and a journey for the imagination. Patrick George uses digitally-rendered art and clear acetate pages to create different objects from page to page. Some magical transformations include the changing of a yellow candy into a green blow fish, and a tree with brown leaves becomes a tree with green leaves. A fun, whimsical read for all ages.

Goblins by Philip Reeve Scolastic Press, 2012.  340 pgs. Fiction Skarper is a rare thing among the rather slow but extremely aggressive goblin race--he is dead clever and avoids fighting at all costs. But his smarts soon lead him straight into trouble. Before he knows it, Skarper has been cast out by his kind into the human world where he meets Henwyn, a human boy with a brave and noble heart but not a  lot of brains. Henwyn wants nothing so much as to be a true hero. Skarper just wants to survive another day of his exile. Together, they make a hilarious team who find trouble and adventure following them wherever they go.