Product Description

annie Fudwupper's big brother, Edwurd, spends his time cooking up big fibs full of phooey and letting them rip. But one day, Edwurd tells such a whopping lie that the army, the air force, and the dogcatcher are called to reverse the damage!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #77258 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 40 pages

Amazon.com Review
Berkeley Breathed ("Bloom County") continues his successful second life as a first-rate children's storyteller. In the spirit of A Wish for Wings That Work and Red Ranger Came Calling, Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big celebrates Breathed's ample cartooning skill while incorporating a more weighty, atmospheric style to tell a simple story that makes intelligent use of both. Energetic, silly, "Bloom County"-esque caricatures provide contrast to some truly impressive set pieces, fat with color and playfully composed. And that's just the illustrations.

Edwurd's hilarious story is told by his overlooked little sister Fannie: "From a long line of liars, there's none higher upper... / Than my fibbing big brother, / The Edward Fudwupper." This accomplished yarn-spinner just can't seem to stop himself, "like the time he fibbed big / And told Ben and Dinky / That I had been borne by / A poodle named Stinky." But after an accident in the den with Mom's porcelain pig, Edwurd goes too far and implicates a couple of "passionate porkers" from Pluto. Soon the military arrives in full force, "with planes and with tanks and with loud whirligigs!" (Not to mention a very serious-looking helicopter with a banner encouraging the frightened populace below to "STAY CALM.") But this proves to be the least of Edwurd's worries, and in the end it's up to brave Fannie to save the day with a fib of her very own. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

From Publishers Weekly
"From a long line of liars, there's none higher upper.../ Than my fibbing big brother,/ The Edwurd Fudwupper," laments Fannie, a timid girl with freckles and corkscrews of orange hair. She only wants some attention from Edwurd, a mutated Dennis the Menace with a red-striped shirt, monstrously large head and creepy grin. But Edwurd is too busy fabricating stories to be her friend. In a sequence too convoluted to recount fully, Edward breaks a ceramic pig, lies about the deed and draws hostile attention from a three-eyed alien whose purple potbelly could easily contain the entire Earth ("Oh, it was dreadful! A real world stopper!/ All from an Edwurd Fudwupper fat whopper!"). When Fannie tells a "fat fib" of her own and saves the planet, she finally earns Edwurd's affection. Breathed (A Wish for Wings That Work) alternates ink-and-watercolor caricatures with ultra-high-contrast images, but their caustic whites and poison greens exude an almost radioactive glow. The author may approach the meters of Dr. Seuss ("Who is this gnat? Point out where he's at!/ Show him to me and I'll swat him down flat!" says the alien), but the tone, like the art, is mean-spirited and unfunny. All ages. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-A smug, obnoxious, yet imaginative boy gets out of many sticky situations by telling whoppers in this rhyming tale related by his neglected little sister. One day he outdoes himself: "Edwurd dropped low; he was scared ten times double./He'd fibbed way too big and was now in HUGE trouble!" When a nosy neighbor overhears his story about alien pig-lifting beams, she calls in the army and airforce to find her missing friend, another victim of the boy's mischief. Nothing can stop the fib now-especially with the arrival of an angry monster alien. Fortunately for Edwurd, his sister bravely takes the blame. Touched by the little girl's devotion to her big brother, the creature heads home and Edwurd is off the hook, and he finally appreciates his younger sibling. This is a highly moralistic tale, but a wildly zany one, full of wordplay, alliteration, and outrageously expressive watercolor-and-acrylic illustrations. The cartoon talent of the artist shines through his unique perspectives, grotesque characters, and dramatic color contrasts. What fun-and that's no lie.
Ronald Jobe, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Fibbin' Fudwuppers Batman!
Fannie Fudwupper's big brother is no ordinary big brother. Some little boys are good at baseball or basketball, but Edwurd's talent lies in his ability to craft the most outrageously creative fibs ever. One day he goes too far. He tells a fib so fantastic, so far-fetched, that it sends everyone--including the dog catcher, the air force, and even those two galaxies down--into a panic. Has the damage been done? Will Edwurd face certain punishment? Read the book, and find out. I did, and found a new favorite kids book! The wonderful illustrations and text come together to make a laugh-out-loud story for kids and adults. And parents will love the message--honesty IS the best policy.

Funny and beautiful
As a fan of Breathed's "Bloom County", I felt the urge to buy this book for my four years old daughter. She, her sister, her mother and her father love it.

The story is narrated by a frustrated girl who receives no attention from her brother "Edwurd", the biggest liar alive. One day, one of his lies goes too far, bringing even an upset creature from "just two galaxies down".

The illustrations are gorgeous, with the usual funny style of Breathed, in which characthers look as stretched by superior forces.

Regarding a complaint from another reviewer, here is the discussed dedication: "The author wishes to thank President Bill Clinton, without whose daily inspiration this particular story just plain wouldn't have come to mind".

That's it. I will not call it a "political statement", but just plain humor.

Highly recommended.

The Best Surprise At Our Surprise Party
My son had his sixth birthday party yesterday and one of the presents was this book. Never having been a comic strip reader, I was unfamiliar with the author but found each page to be more engagaing and amazing than the one before. It's a very witty story but the jaw-dropping, realistic-yet-fantastic three-deminsional paintings had us spending more time on the picturs than the words. We read it not once, not twice, but three times last night. In just 24 hours we've become full-blown fans of this author and I just orderd two other books. Bet the Amazon.com stock bounces back just by people like me buying other Berkley Breathed children's books.