King Hugo's Huge Ego

From a master of visual comedy comes the royally satisfying tale of a head swollen out of proportion and a blowhard brought down to earth. 

Hugo is a tiny king with a very large ego. But when he mistreats a villager who also happens to be a sorceress, the spell she casts causes his head to literally swell. The more he boasts, the bigger it gets, until it finally topples the mini monarch right off his castle! Who will cut this royal pain down to size? And, more important, will anyone live happily ever after? Chris Van Dusen’s hilarious story is matched only by his outrageous illustrations. Together, they make for a picture book that is sometimes fairy tale, sometimes cautionary tale, and always laugh-out-loud funny.Readers are treated to a terrific mélange of satire, slapstick, and caricature, all served up with expert comic timing. Van Dusen (The Circus Ship) may be puncturing the myth of infallible monarchy, but readers will have no trouble pledging obeisance to his comic majesty.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)Chris Van Dusen is the author-illustrator of The Circus Ship and the illustrator of the best-selling Mercy Watson books by Kate DiCamillo. About King Hugo’s Huge Ego, he says, “Arrogance is a trait I’ve always deplored, and yet I have to admit that sometimes my own ego can become a bit inflated. Luckily I have a wonderful wife who acts as a ‘Tessa’ to my occasional ‘Hugo.’ ” Chris Van Dusen lives in Maine with his family.