by A.R. Capetta ; illustrated by Charlene Chua ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 28, 2024
These magical, mischievous pooches prove irresistible.
Two pups seek their forever home.
Jinx, a friendly witch, finds an abandoned litter of precious—and “slightly magical”—puppies and takes them to the Shelter for Slightly Magical Pets, where they’ll find homes with witches, wizards, and warlocks. The middle pups—Double, Toil, and Trouble—are quickly adopted. But the oldest, Hocus (who can see two minutes into the future), and Pocus, the youngest, who can make bad feelings disappear, refuse to be separated and so have a harder time finding homes. When Jinx decides to help them by making a potion that will guarantee that they’ll be adopted, the pups plot to modify it to ensure they’ll both go to the same owner. They sneak into Jinx’s bag and secretly go home with her. Hocus usually leads the way, but now shy Pocus must keep Hocus, who’s more interested in meeting new friends, on track. Things go awry—will their plan work? This lively chapter book is engaging, with unexpected and entertaining developments. A few words such as unacceptable, dueled, and cauldrons add a bit of a challenge. The colorful, cartoonish illustrations add verve and unquestionable cuteness. Brown-skinned Jinx wears glasses and has rippling raspberry-colored hair; she states her pronouns before introducing herself to the pups, as do other characters.
These magical, mischievous pooches prove irresistible. (Chapter book. 5-8)Pub Date: May 28, 2024
ISBN: 9781536224924
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
Share your opinion of this book
More by A.R. Capetta
BOOK REVIEW
edited by A.R. Capetta & Wade Roush
BOOK REVIEW
by A.R. Capetta
BOOK REVIEW
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
Google Rating
Kirkus Reviews'
Best Books Of 2017
New York Times Bestseller
by Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 22, 2017
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
Google Rating
Kirkus Reviews'
Best Books Of 2017
New York Times Bestseller
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
Share your opinion of this book
More by Aaron Reynolds
BOOK REVIEW
by Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter Brown
BOOK REVIEW
by Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Cam Kendell
BOOK REVIEW
by Christina Soontornvat ; illustrated by Barbara Szepesi Szucs ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre.
Ice princess Lina must navigate family and school in this early chapter read.
The family picnic is today. This is not a typical gathering, since Lina’s maternal relatives are a royal family of Windtamers who have power over the weather and live in castles floating on clouds. Lina herself is mixed race, with black hair and a tan complexion like her Asian-presenting mother’s; her Groundling father appears to be a white human. While making a grand entrance at the castle of her grandfather, the North Wind, she fails to successfully ride a gust of wind and crashes in front of her entire family. This prompts her stern grandfather to ask that Lina move in with him so he can teach her to control her powers. Desperate to avoid this, Lina and her friend Claudia, who is black, get Lina accepted at the Hilltop Science and Arts Academy. Lina’s parents allow her to go as long as she does lessons with grandpa on Saturdays. However, fitting in at a Groundling school is rough, especially when your powers start freak winter storms! With the story unfurling in diary format, bright-pink–highlighted grayscale illustrations help move the plot along. There are slight gaps in the storytelling and the pacing is occasionally uneven, but Lina is full of spunk and promotes self-acceptance.
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-35393-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More by Christina Soontornvat
BOOK REVIEW
by Christina Soontornvat ; illustrated by Isabel Roxas
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Sarah Mlynowski & Christina Soontornvat ; illustrated by Maxine Vee
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.