Idoru

Slip Yam would get along famously with Tom Sawyer and Peter Pan. Although he's small enough to ride on the backs of birds and butterflies, his imagination is big enough for ten average boys. He mainly uses it to worry his mother and tease Petal, the neighbor girl--until he meets a fairy woman named Idoru, who needs his help with greater matters. A naughty ape-wizard, full of himself and magic jellybeans, is plotting to take over the world’s tomato supply, one garden at a time. If he succeeds, there will be no more spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, or ketchup--ever.

When Slip and Petal help Idoru stop the invasion of a local tomato patch, the wizard himself comes looking for them. Both sides must gather their allies for a final battle in Slip’s backyard. Slip’s aunt is holding her annual wrinkle cream party in the yard that same day, but the wizard refuses to reschedule.

It’s going to be messy.

Idoru is a fairy tale for parents to read at bedtime to middle-graders and younger kids, or for older kids to read on their own.