A fun introduction to chapter books filled with plenty of heart, humor, and handy life lessons for both kids and adults.
The fourth entry in Horn’s chapter book Eudora Space Kid series finds the plucky hero playing matchmaker.
Eudora Jenkins lives on a spaceship, the AstroLiner Athena, with her “perfect” older sister, Molly, her Poxian mother, who looks like “a beautiful gray wolf standing up straight,” and her Powian father, who has an “octopus-like head, arms, hands, and feet” (Eudora and Molly are human girls). One day Eudora sees the normally cheerful ship’s captain looking blue (“I’ve never seen Captain Jax sad. He sometimes looks very frustrated and yells a lot. Like when kids try and sneak onto his bridge. He yells, ‘Get this kid off my bridge!’ ”). Captain Jax soon confesses to her that he wants to ask out Eudora’s teacher, Miss Allison, but he is too shy. Being the helpful third grader that she is, Eudora suggests the pair go on a double date with Eudora and her best friend, Arnold, to make the prospect less intimidating. She quickly discovers, however, that romance is never predictable, as their double date in the ship’s cafeteria is interrupted by Dr. Jimmy Ratz, the new doctor in charge of MedBay. Dr. Ratz confesses his own feelings for Miss Allison, but, as one might expect in an early reader chapter book, the love triangle is quickly and (mostly) painlessly resolved. Interspersed throughout the book are cartoonish black-and-white illustrations by Tondora that do justice to the goofy nature of the text. The book ends with a Planetary Republic Court transcript, an interview in which Dr. Ratz hilariously objects to the real-life author’s plot decisions and takes issue with how Tondora illustrates him.
Eudora’s stories toe the line between adventure and big life lessons in a way that proves both fun and educational. Her dynamic with Molly in particular manages to evolve beyond a stereotypical contentious sibling relationship when Eudora goes to her for advice about romance. It’s then that Molly admits that she goes above and beyond to show her parents that she’s responsible so she’ll be allowed to date, a confession that deepens the sisters’ bond in an unexpected moment of tenderness in the course of an otherwise silly narrative. The straightforward plot, relatively short page count, and simple vocabulary make this ideal for new readers looking to make the jump beyond children’s books. There are deeper themes present as well: Even though the planet Qlaxonia means to take over the galaxy, Eudora’s ship welcomes those Qlaxons who have chosen to defect. This kind of acceptance of all alien species is handled in a nonchalant manner but nevertheless speaks volumes, contributing to the book’s overall message of love and friendship. There is also plenty of kid-appropriate humor, as when Eudora describes her parents’ jobs: “Mom is in charge of the brig, which is like the jail on the ship for naughty passengers. And my dad is a marine biologist. But we’re not allowed to make octopus jokes. At least not to him.” While this is technically the fourth Eudora Space Kid entry, readers new to the series won’t have a problem picking this one up first—it works perfectly well as a stand-alone book.
A fun introduction to chapter books filled with plenty of heart, humor, and handy life lessons for both kids and adults.Pub Date: May 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781736677476
Page Count: 90
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Warm but underdone.
In this picture book from actor Gyllenhaal and his partner, Caruso, a child and his uncle bond on a fantastic journey.
Leo, an avid dancer, is dismayed when Uncle Mo visits—he’s in town for a “rubber band convention.” Illustrations show both with wavy brown hair and light tan skin. Not only does Leo think his uncle is rather dull, he’s also leery of Uncle Mo’s many rules. A rather abrupt narrative shift occurs when the pair inexplicably drive into another dimension. Here they encounter Great-Aunt Gloria (who is very tall and presents Black) and Uncle Munkle Carbunkle (who is very short and light-skinned), who guide them through the Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles. Unimpressed with Uncle Mo, Great-Aunt Gloria says he must take a quiz on “Auntieology and Uncleology.” After several wrong answers, Uncle Mo has a final chance at redemption: He must state his nephew’s favorite activity. When Leo springs into action to dance for his clueless uncle, a mishap leaves him mortified and un-bespectacled. Enter Uncle Mo to save the day by using a rubber band to secure Leo’s glasses. While Santat’s energetic illustrations do much to clarify the narrative, they can’t fully make up for the disjointed storytelling—it’s never clear why the two have entered this dimension or why Leo is suddenly so eager to help Uncle Mo. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Warm but underdone. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781250776990
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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