The Wizard, the Ugly and the Book of Shame

Leitmeritz the wizard solves everyone’s problems with the help of his Red Book of Spells. But he can’t help his assistant, Chancery, the big blue man whom the villagers call the Ugly. One day, while the wizard is away, Chancery asks the Red Book of Spells to make him handsome, with unexpected consequences. In THE WIZARD, THE UGLY AND THE BOOK OF SHAME, Pablo Bernasconi uses a traditional fairytale structure to tell a witty and poignant story about perceptions of beauty, the importance of self-esteem, and the power of forgiveness. In the author’s own words, “I think all my stories show the value of believing in yourself, the courage of finding a way to be comfortable with us, and the idea that difference can be good and should be good.”