Professor Windsnicker's Book of Proper Etiquette for Well-Mannered Sycophants by Clover Ernest/Obert Skye

Professor Windsnicker's Book of Proper Etiquette for Well-Mannered Sycophants
by Clover Ernest/Obert Skye

Middle Grade Fantasy
167 pages, hardcover
Target Reader: Ages 9-12

Shadow Mountain
978-1590387160
Release Date: April 2007



From the publisher:

FOR FANS OF LEVEN THUMPS

I have met very few people I didn’t like. There was that one fellow with the long, sharp knife, and that tall woman with the beyond-bad attitude, and of course all those who fight against Foo, but for the most part I find people agreeable.

That is not the case with Terry Graphs. He is despicable, mean, cruel, and – on the occasions when I have had the misfortune of being near him – smelly. So it was with some concern and yet great excitement that I contacted him after seeing what he had posted for sale on eBay. His ad read:

Old dumb book – wife thinks it’s worth something. Written by Foo, or a professor, or a sycophant, whoever that is. Found on the Oklahoma prairie not far from where our house was demolished. I personally discovered it while picking up the pieces of the singlewide I still owe on. You tell me what you’ll pay for it and we might have a deal.

I flew to Oklahoma and happily bought the book from him for thirty dollars and the silver watch I was wearing. Terry had no idea what he had found or what he was selling. He also had very pungent breath.

I have studied the book for many months now. The best I can figure is that sometime during Clover’s stay in Reality it fell from his void, or perhaps he was looking at it on the prairie and foolishly left it behind. Either way, we are lucky. There are many things about Foo and the sycophants that can be gleaned from it. Read it carefully. It is a tremendous glimpse into the mind and life of Leven’s faithful friend Clover.

Fate was kind to drop it in my lap. Of course, luckily for all of us, fate seems to favor Foo.

This is a support book for the Leven Thumps series of books by Obert Skye. It is the "training manual" for sycophants, like Leven's friend, Clover, and Winter's friend, Lilly. It won't make a lot of sense unless you've read the series.

Written in the style of a textbook, Professor Windsnicker lectures the sycophants-in-training on how to properly do their jobs. Chapters include "Grooming and Robe Maintenance," "Dealing with Name Changes," and "Appropriate Places to Sit" (as in, sitting on your 'burn'—the person you are helping.) At the end of each chapter, we have Clover's notes on the Professor's topics—we learn things about him that aren't in the regular books, such as his developing feelings for Lilly, Winter's helper.

The humor in this book comes from the exposed ignorance of Professor Winsnicker. For example, a sycophant (as Windsnicker refers to his pupils) is "a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite" (see Dictionary.com) which is exactly what Windsnicker is revealed as, while Clover and Lilly and others of their ilk are actually altruistic helpers for those trying to save Foo. I loved Clover's doodles which are scattered across nearly every page.

I rate this book a 3.5 out of 5. If you are a Foo fan and own every book in hardcover, then this is a must for your collection. You will love this little book as well. If you're a casual reader of Foo, check it out from the library. It's good for an afternoon of chuckles.


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