Shock-Headed Peter's Return

Let’s raise the curtain on the Shock-Headed Peter of the 21st century: in a cheeky, witty book, chock full of surprising punchlines, Hans Magnus Enzensberger has rewritten the stories of Little Suck-a-Thumb, Fidgety Philip and Flying Robert, this time without the raised admonishing finger. Anarchic Shock-Headed Peter is turned into a heartthrob and the wild hunter into an ignorant despot. Harriet lights her matches but not carelessly this time: she has a bunch of tricks up her sleeve. And Augustus is lovesick rather than on hunger strike. Dr Heinrich Hoffmann himself, the original author, leads the reader through each scene, loosely following the principle that children should be outraged rather than quiet because talking back is healthy. Otherwise, there can be no happy endings.