The Emperor's Ostrich by Julie Berry

Begonia is on the road looking for their cow, Alfalfa.  She needs to be milked but she likes to wander.  This time she has wandered into trouble...

Roaring Brook Press and Net Galley allowed me to read this for review.  It will be published June 13th.

This is really the tale of a young emperor finally coming of age to lead his dynasty.  His ancestors think he has been poorly trained, is rude and is not ready for the role.  So he suddenly finds himself hanging from his window sill with only an ostrich to rescue him.  The bird takes off and the poor young emperor finds himself in the woods.  He's never ventured there before.

The ancestors help with Begonia's search, too, but not in the way she wanted it to go!  Once she finds Alfalfa, she also finds the ostrich and the emperor.  He's so rude, she sets out with her cow, but the ostrich follows and so does the emperor...

She has made a friend along the way named Key and he helps her through difficult circumstances.  And, as the ancestors hoped, the hard time the young emperor has helps him realize how people feel about him and that he needs to make some improvements.

You meet odd people along the way, the faction at the castle who intend to replace the emperor are defeated and everything works out for the best.  This is fun read with lots of action and smiles along the way.  The ostrich is a fun part of the story; he made the story work.