Hugo Pepper
by Paul Stewart
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Hugo Pepper is the third instalment in Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell's Far-Flung Adventures (Fergus Crane and Corby Flood being the first two). Although the stories are not directly linked, they are all set in the same world and have many links that readers will delight in spotting.
The story starts in the Frozen North, where two reindeer-herders, Harvi and Sarvi Runter-Tun-Tun, wake to discover a little baby wrapped up tightly in a blanket on their doorstep. It seems that the baby, Hugo Pepper, has been left there by snow giants after being rescued from Polar Bears. Later, the reindeer-herders find a strange upturned sled and all that remains of Hugo's real parents - a gentleman'?s boot and a lady's glove.
Ten and a half years later Hugo discovers the strange looking sled hidden away at the back of the cow shed and learns all about the night he was found on the doorstep. The sled, which turns out to be a Crane and Sons Aeronautical Snow Chariot, is repaired and Hugo sets off on a voyage of discovery.
The sled is fitted with a wonderful device called A Compass of The Heart. When the dial is set for home, the Snow Chariot finds its way without any problem. After all, home is where the heart is. The Aeronautical Snow Chariot takes Hugo to the seaside town of Harbour Heights, a place already familiar to fans of the Far-Flung Adventures. It is in Harbour Heights that Hugo discovers the truth about his parents, meets a host of interesting characters including the mermaids Daisy and Lily Neptune, the bold and beautiful pirate Brimstone Kate and the cat lady Cressida Claw, as well as uncovering the mystery of Brimstone Kate's treasure, discovering what makes flying carpets fly and the truth about snowmen.
Parallel and interlinking with the main narrative are stories taken from a Harbour Heights magazine, Firefly Quarterly. Through these stories we learn about many of the characters that inhabit the story and that tie in with Hugo himself. Once a well respected magazine, the Firefly Quarterly has changed into a manipulative controlling tool for the sinister Elliot de Mille. This provides an interesting look into the way the media are able to exert power over their readers and influence opinion. Elliot de Mille seems to have everything under control until Hugo arrives.
Packed with Chris Riddell's instantly recognisable artwork and Paul Stewart's detailed descriptions of people and places Hugo Pepper is a humorous adventure full of enough mystery to intrigue and delight readers of all ages.
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