Riding a Broken-down Booger

Ten-year-old Penelope wants nothing more than to leave dull, tiresome school. Penelope’s so uninterested she staples her best friend’s shirt to a desk, steals her lunches — the good ones anyway, and ties her to a tree with a skipping rope. To escape boredom, Penelope journeys to capture a Willimagnificawallgog, legendary creatures that bestow magnificent fortunes. Andrew, a shy nine-year-old, encounters Penelope, tussles with her; then goaded to prove his courage joins her dangerous search; unknown to them a Willimagnificawallgog quests to snatch a human being and sneaks into Andrew’s coat pocket.

Unwittingly, the three enter a living menacing forest where they are enslaved by a dictatorial King and forced by its formidable beasts to build a zoo to imprison the fabled creatures. Along their terrifying expedition they are carried into a dream world, commune with a thought, are trapped by Samuel a half-man half-fish, bring to life Joheedga, a game playing card; and are pursued by an Eternal Idea intent on destroying them.

This swift fascinating tale, with philosophical surrealism, is for every child who craves a space where both inner and outer realities come together to create a place of trust on how to adapt to our unpredictable world.