Hugo Sprouts and the Strange Case of the Beans

by John Loren, John Loren (Illustrator)

Overview

Hugo Sprouts is a fantastic tale about a boy frustrated with being small. Luckily, Hugo P. Sprouts is a mad scientist and determined to find a solution...

In his lab, Hugo develops a potion and finally becomes the biggest kid in town—but also the biggest jerk around. Hugo has great power, but will he learn responsibility before it’s too late? 

John Loren's rhyming, invention-gone-wrong picture book is a silly, fun read-aloud full of heart. This madcap tale of a whiz-kid was partly inspired by the struggle of good and evil in Stevenson’s classic Jekyll and Hyde, with a little scoop of Godzilla for good measure.

Hugo Sprouts and the Strange Case of the Beans is a celebration of curiosity and ingenuity that fans of Andrea Beaty’s Rosie Revere, Engineer and Chris Van Dusen’s If I Built a Car will love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062941169
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/06/2021
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

John Loren sprouted up in Maine many years ago. Now he’s an author and illustrator whose work spans video games, comics, and animation. He’s also a proud pop who reminds his kids to eat their beans every day. Frankenstein Doesn’t Wear Earmuffs! was his debut and Hugo Sprouts and the Strange Case of the Beans is John’s second picture book. 

John Loren sprouted up in Maine many years ago. Now he’s an author and illustrator whose work spans video games, comics, and animation. He’s also a proud pop who reminds his kids to eat their beans every day. Frankenstein Doesn’t Wear Earmuffs! was his debut and Hugo Sprouts and the Strange Case of the Beans is John’s second picture book. 

Editorial Reviews

Loren’s ear for cadence is utterly divine [and] it’s the art that really pops off the page. Fans of classic Looney Tunes may see many visual callbacks while the plot and rhymes harken back to old-school Dr. Seuss. Fast, furious, and funny, this book is one to grow on." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2021-05-19
The end justifies the beans in this rollicking rhyming tale of giant ambition.

Child genius Hugo Sprout has an invention for every possible need, whether it’s an invisible tricycle or a canine translation device. However, when it comes to movies, roller coasters, and getting picked for kickball, Hugo is consistently deemed too small. No matter. After his father extols the virtues of beans, the boy creates a legume-infused growth potion that has the ability to expand Hugo to monstrous proportions. Unfortunately, the larger he grows, the worse his behavior. Will he see how his poor choices are the only thing truly big about him? Although the occasional squishy rhyme makes its way onto the page, Loren’s ear for cadence is utterly divine (few would have the wherewithal to rhyme “flapjack-o-matic” with “remote-control haddock”). With the book blessedly free of fart jokes in spite of the proliferation of beans on the page, it’s the art that really pops off the page. The illustrations are packed with hundreds of tiny details that will appeal to kids and adults alike. Fans of classic Looney Tunes may see many visual callbacks while the plot and rhymes harken back to old-school Dr. Seuss. Hugo and his family present as White; their community is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Fast, furious, and funny, this book is one to grow on. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews