This remarkable story of friendship is a perfect showcase for exquisite animals.
A former show horse adjusts to his new, less pampered life in Ryker’s middle-grade novel.
Full Time, who prefers his nickname Big Guy, is a colossal, ribbon-winning thoroughbred colt. It’s not easy for him to stay humble with Nancy, his person, constantly praising him for his good looks and his skills (“You’re the biggest, prettiest horse I have ever seen”). But aging is inevitable, as are the various aches that come with it. When he’s no longer at the top of his game, Big Guy moves to the adjacent school-horse barn, where humans learn how to ride horses. In a much tinier stall, he meets his school-horse stablemates, including warmhearted Shorty and pessimistic Kaiser. When he was a show horse, Big Guy spent time in a fenced paddock alone; now, he’s regularly surrounded by other horses who sport a diverting mix of personalities that he soon grows fond of. For the first time since he was a pony, Big Guy feels like he’s part of a herd. Ryker’s breezy, good-natured story has its share of humor. The horses fall into misadventures: Kaiser takes pleasure in kicking the barn wall to knock hanging saddles to the floor, and part-Clydesdale Slippy is, proudly, an escape artist. They’re full of curious tales, as one is an ex-racehorse and others have worked at rodeos. But there are serious moments as well; horses become injured or sick, and they fear being sent to the zoo, where the unspeakable allegedly happens. Readers unfamiliar with equestrianism and horse care will pick up loads of details, including relevant terminology and specifics about what horses go through (being a show horse can be lonely, as owners intentionally keep them away from other horses). Connell’s simple black-and-white sketches capture some of the best moments, as when Slippy makes his way to a snack regardless of the novice rider trying to lead him elsewhere.
This remarkable story of friendship is a perfect showcase for exquisite animals.Pub Date: June 18, 2024
ISBN: 9781578691746
Page Count: 184
Publisher: Rootstock Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
Entrancing and uplifting.
A small dog, the elderly woman who owns him, and a homeless girl come together to create a tale of serendipity.
Piper, almost 12, her parents, and her younger brother are at the bottom of a long slide toward homelessness. Finally in a family shelter, Piper finds that her newfound safety gives her the opportunity to reach out to someone who needs help even more. Jewel, mentally ill, lives in the park with her dog, Baby. Unwilling to leave her pet, and forbidden to enter the shelter with him, she struggles with the winter weather. Ree, also homeless and with a large dog, helps when she can, but after Jewel gets sick and is hospitalized, Baby’s taken to the animal shelter, and Ree can’t manage the complex issues alone. It’s Piper, using her best investigative skills, who figures out Jewel’s backstory. Still, she needs all the help of the shelter Firefly Girls troop that she joins to achieve her accomplishment: to raise enough money to provide Jewel and Baby with a secure, hopeful future and, maybe, with their kindness, to inspire a happier story for Ree. Told in the authentic alternating voices of loving child and loyal dog, this tale could easily slump into a syrupy melodrama, but Pyron lets her well-drawn characters earn their believable happy ending, step by challenging step, by reaching out and working together. Piper, her family, and Jewel present white; Pyron uses hair and naming convention, respectively, to cue Ree as black and Piper’s friend Gabriela as Latinx.
Entrancing and uplifting. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-283922-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
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