A fun story with traditional appeal.
Young fairy-tale lovers and cat enthusiasts will purr over this predictably sweet story of royal feline fancy.
In the preface, Henney (The Escape: Naughty Bluejay and Woodpecker, 2014, etc.) cites high printing costs as the reason her book’s illustrations are not in color. The explanation may not have been necessary, however; the black-and-white illustrations lend a classic feel and complement the simple plot. When Princess Trinka—a beautiful, red-and-white ring-tailed cat with golden eyes—can’t sleep because tomcats serenade her at night, a wise old feline advises her to take a vacation. While romping through the woods, the princess is spotted by Basil, a handsome tomcat. Leaving his kindly owner, Basil follows Princess Trinka back to her castle, where he sings beautiful love songs beneath her window, only to leave before the smitten princess can find out who he is. The princess calls for a singing contest in the kingdom to find the mysterious, talented tomcat. There are no big surprises in this romance, however, as Princess Trinka and Basil quickly get together. For the most part, Henney’s narrative is easy reading for children 7 and older. The story’s retro feel is enhanced by its old-fashioned artistic representations, such as Basil’s owner, who is an older woman in a long dress and apron. The animals in the book will please many young readers; e.g., the wise, old cats, though bony and somewhat scraggly, are friendly characters. Princess Trinka is regal in her cape and crown, and the cartoonish “serenading” toms are humorous. Though the storyline is not especially imaginative (there are no unexpected twists or turns), elementary readers who love cats and royal marriages may enjoy this modest tale.
A fun story with traditional appeal.Pub Date: April 29, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5007-7210-9
Page Count: 58
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.
In Florence’s middle-grade fantasy novel, a young girl’s heart is tested in the face of an evil, spreading Darkness.
Eleven-year-old Lydia, “freckle-cheeked and round-eyed, with hair the color of pine bark and fair skin,” is struggling with the knowledge that she has reached the age to apprentice as an herbalist. Lydia is reluctant to leave her beloved, magical Mulberry Glen and her cozy Housetree in the woods—she’ll miss Garder, the Glen’s respected philosopher; her fairy guardian Pit; her human friend Livy; and even the mischievous part-elf, part-imp, part-human twins Zale and Zamilla. But the twins go missing after hearing of a soul-sapping Darkness that has swallowed a forest and is creeping into minds and engulfing entire towns. They have secretly left to find a rare fruit that, it is said, will stop the Darkness if thrown into the heart of the mountain that rises out of the lethal forest. Lydia follows, determined to find the twins before they, too, fall victim to the Darkness. During her journey, accompanied by new friends, she gradually realizes that she herself has a dangerous role to play in the quest to stop the Darkness. In this well-crafted fantasy, Florence skillfully equates the physical manifestation of Darkness with the feelings of insecurity and powerlessness that Lydia first struggles with when thinking of leaving the Glen. Such negative thoughts grow more intrusive the closer she and her friends come to the Darkness—and to Lydia’s ultimate, powerfully rendered test of character, which leads to a satisfyingly realistic, not quite happily-ever-after ending. Highlights include a delightfully haunting, reality-shifting library and a deft sprinkling of Latin throughout the text; Pit’s pet name for Lydia is mea flosculus (“my little flower”). Fine-lined ink drawings introducing each chapter add a pleasing visual element to this well-grounded fairy tale.
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781956393095
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Waxwing Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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