The premise promises more than the delivery, BUT…there’s no denying that this tale of pirate foolishness is great good fun.
An impromptu piratical birthday bash is saved at the last minute thanks to quick thinking and ample ugly footwear.
Eddie and his dog, Phil, reside in a happy little seaside community where the denizens’ biggest problem is their cold heads. When the duo’s fishing plans are scuppered thanks to Eddie’s aunt Sue’s insistence that he come to her place to do some chores, they find that this involves throwing a surprise party for her pal Capt. Rugbeard. Each time it looks like Eddie and Phil’s woes are solved, the page will end with a resounding, red, bolded “BUT….” And with each turn of the page, the font of the “But” grows larger and larger in tandem with the story’s tension. A birthday-present misunderstanding yields to a happy ending involving footwear as headwear. The device of ending each page on a cliffhanger has been employed with greater skill and ease in similar titles, yet the sneaky conjunction will provide ample prompts for teachers and parents hoping to spark a bit of creativity in those young charges who will enjoy predicting the nature of each “But.” Hamilton’s accompanying pen, ink and watercolor illustrations give the book the properly madcap air of gentle chaos the storyline requires.
The premise promises more than the delivery, BUT…there’s no denying that this tale of pirate foolishness is great good fun. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3046-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
A visually engaging but otherwise underwhelming take on a classic.
A retelling of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, set in the Alaskan tundra.
Prolific picture-book author and illustrator Brett depicts Alice with short black hair, tan skin, and a fur-lined parka, while Lewis Carroll’s well-known characters are recast in new guises: The Cheshire Cat and Queen of Hearts appear as a Smilodon (saber-toothed cat) and snowy owl, respectively. Progressing at a rapid-fire pace, the narrative follows key moments of the original plot, including Alice’s fall down the rabbit hole (located within a glacier here), her tea party with the Hatter and the March Hare (this time, with the Old Prospector and the Varying Hare), and a scene where several playing cards paint the roses red (instead, the cotton grass) at the Queen’s behest. Characteristic of Brett’s illustrative style, each spread is packed with detail. Observant readers will find much to explore, from the well-worn playing cards that line each page to the intricate Alaskan birds and mammals featured at every turn. Still, the hectic rhythm of the story might lose youngsters, and its ho-hum text flattens some of Carroll’s whimsy. Adults may be disappointed that Brett has chosen to highlight only the area’s animals and colonial history (the Prospector hearkens back to Alaska’s history of colonial encroachment), with no explicit mention of the land’s rich Indigenous nations and cultures.
A visually engaging but otherwise underwhelming take on a classic. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Nov. 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780593533888
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2024
Sure to assuage the fears of all astronauts bound for similar missions.
A genius way to ease kids into the new adventure that is kindergarten.
In an imaginative ruse that’s maintained through the whole book, a young astronaut prepares for his mission to Planet Kindergarten. On liftoff day (a space shuttle–themed calendar counts down the days; a stopwatch, the minutes), the small family boards their rocket ship (depicted in the illustrations as the family car), and “the boosters fire.” They orbit base camp while looking for a docking place. “I am assigned to my commander, capsule, and crewmates.” Though he’s afraid, he stands tall and is brave (not just once, either—the escape hatch beckons, but NASA’s saying gets him through: “FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION”). Parents will certainly chuckle along with this one, but kindergarten teachers’ stomach muscles will ache: “[G]ravity works differently here. We have to try hard to stay in our seats. And our hands go up a lot.” Prigmore’s digital illustrations are the perfect complement to the tongue-in-cheek text. Bold colors, sharp lines and a retro-space style play up the theme. The intrepid explorer’s crewmates are a motley assortment of “aliens”—among them are a kid in a hoodie with the laces pulled so tight that only a nose and mouth are visible; a plump kid with a bluish cast to his skin; and a pinkish girl with a toothpick-thin neck and huge bug eyes.
Sure to assuage the fears of all astronauts bound for similar missions. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4521-1893-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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