Friends and Foes

"Shrek is a big, green ogre. He used to live alone in a swamp. Then he married Fiona. She talked him into going to the big city. Shrek doesn't like the city much. He wants to go to his swamp. There is just one problem. He might have to stay and become king!" -- From the book I haven't yet seen Shrek the Third, but my family and I are eagerly anticipating watching it in the theater this weekend. I almost wished I hadn't found out some major plot points ahead of time! In fact, if you HAVEN'T seen the movie yet, this book pretty much gives away the store--so wait until AFTER you see the movie if you don't want to know spoilers. This book follows Shrek and his pals as they look for Arthur Pendragon, Fiona's cousin, who is heir to the throne. Half the book is dedicated to the war between the Fairy Tale villians and the Fairy Tale friends--which is the source of major plot giveaways. We have three books based on Shrek the Third and this one is better than A Good King Is Hard to Find but worse than Royally Wrong in terms of both story and illustration. Rather than the glossy books that show what look to be actual movie stills--such as Royally Wrong--this book has mediocre illustrations, dull coloring, and a complicated, disjointed plot. Friends and Foes is a Level 2 I Can Read book which means longer sentences, high-interest stories and language play for developing readers. Although no age group is mentioned, I think this would be a good book for readers aged 5-8--and for younger kids who love the Shrek movies. Despite my reservations about Friends and Foes, if your child is a big fan of Shrek the Third--and you'd like to encourage them to read--then this book may suit your needs. My 8 year old loves all the books and doesn't seem to mind the difference in quality.