Stories that intermix reality and fantasy must maintain consistency by making either the fantasy world realistic or the real world fantastic. In The Prince of Tarn, the eighth pre-teen novel by award-winning Alberta author Hazel Hutchins, the latter is the case. There is magic in Tarn, a mythical world created by 11-year-old Fred’s dead mother, and there is magic in Fred’s bedroom where, at 12 minutes before midnight on May 17, the bratty Prince of Tarn shows up and is unable to leave. Everyone, including Fred’s overly serious dad, readily accepts the prince’s appearance and sets about trying to send him back. While they do so, they have to handle living with a real prince, who spends his time calling for the royal servants and demanding exotic breakfasts. Fortunately, the prince discovers a liking for pizza and becomes popular teaching Fred’s friends games from his world.

But all is not well. The book in which Fred’s mother wrote the Tarn story is gradually being taken over by doodled foliage, just as Tarn is being taken over by trees. Fred, his friend Rebecca, and the prince must find a way to save the kingdom.

The Prince of Tarn is a coming-of-age story. The prince and Fred both learn that they must write their own futures and realize that there are worlds and realities other than their own. It is beautifully told with sly humour and a marvellous, pervading sense of magic. Fred’s world, where reality and story overlap, is utterly believable and compelling, and the underlying message – that the one true purpose of art is to inspire hope – is introduced with a light hand.

The book’s only flaw is its illustrations. They are too few and far between to add much to the tale and even then, don’t often portray significant events. The book is nicely designed and the increasing number of falling leaves around successive chapter headings is a nice touch. On the other hand, it is hard to see the reasoning behind putting the first five lines of text on the front cover.

This is overall a wonderful story: fast-paced, thoughtful, and imaginative. It will engross readers even younger than its target market and gain new fans for Hutchins.