Hupo and the Wonder Thief

Creative talent Billy Partridge won the Society of Artists Agents Award for New Talent at the World Illustration Awards in 2023 for his quirky contemporary cover of Lewis Carroll’s The Jabberwocky. Known for his visual development work in advertising and television, he has a distinctive exaggerated style. His debut book Hupo and the Wonder Thief is designed to appeal to 5–8-year-olds. It captures the spirit of Hilda and the wonderment of Alice. Visual influences include cartoonish Funko Pop oversized heads melded with the handlebar moustaches of Studio Ghibli characters and the gaping mouths of Edward Gorey.

Hupo is an effervescent dog who is enthusiastic about the power of stories much to the dismay of the mundane townspeople of Yorger who just find him annoying. Despondent, he begins to lose hope until a mysterious, yellow fog and a sudden abduction change everything, starting him on a noble quest where he will find some surprising answers. As Hupo wonders through weird, eye-catching fantasy scapes populated with bizarre shapes such as zeppelin fish, Hitchcockian crows and watchful eyes, Partridge’s palette graduates from earthy browns to murky yellows to aquamarines, bright pinks and zesty colour pops reflecting different moods and environs.

While Hupo has much to recommend it and will appeal to fans of outlandish cartoons and stories with positive messages about staying true to yourself, unfortunately the synergy between text and illustration falls short due to design choices. The speech bubbles work but the cramped, small print at the top of pages and the occasional use of coloured fonts on dark backgrounds could cause difficulty for readers. Sadly, this detracts from the rhythm of the alliteration and onomatopoeia and as dynamic as the illustrations are, some of the story’s magic is lost in translation.