Princess Poppy, the bouncing baby daughter of Queen Marigold and King Christian of Zandelphia-Beaurivage, is in terrible danger. The kingdom’s former torturer-in-chief and poisoner-in-chief have joined forces to kidnap the baby as an act of revenge for their exile! Can a ragtag parade of rescuers—including the king and queen, the evil kidnappers’ mortified children, five dogs, a white elephant, and a washed-up wizard—save Princess Poppy in time?

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### From School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-An upbeat fairy-tale adventure, this final installment in the trilogy is sure to entertain fans of the first two books. The kingdom of Zandelphia-Beaurivage is abuzz with the arrival of the new royal baby, Princess Poppy, but "happy ever after" never lasts long for King Christian and Queen Marigold. They rid the kingdom of the evil Queen Olympia, but now two of her most heartless and fearsome lackeys, the Terrible Two, snatch the baby in revenge. What ensues is a rescue effort involving characters from the previous books who team up with a new cast, including a dragon, a librarian, and a blacksmith. The story is filled with humor, both witty and ridiculous, that will keep readers amused throughout the quick-paced yet predictable plot.-Betsy Davidson, Cortland Free Library, NYα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

### From Booklist

In the second sequel to Once upon a Marigold (2002), Phoebe and Sebastian, the surprisingly amiable offspring of the kingdom’s nastiest villains, fall in love while searching for a kidnapped baby, Princess Poppy. Former lead characters Marigold and Christian take active supporting roles here as the reigning monarchs and Poppy’s parents. Ferris leisurely combines elements of adventure, fantasy, romance, and humor. Phoebe’s delight in vocabulary and Marigold’s love of elephant jokes add to the fun. While readers new to the series can easily follow the action, those who have read the previous books will enjoy the story most. Grades 3-6. --Carolyn Phelan