A well-wrought sophomore offering with a delightfully unconventional heroine.
In her second science-based adventure, inquisitive Olga relies on research to help determine what ails her beloved pet, Meh.
After discovering a new species—the Olgamus ridiculus—in her last adventure (Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere, 2017), fact-loving and gently misanthropic Olga has decided to leave Earth with Meh, who she’s decided must come from another planet. The black-haired, pale-skinned girl gathers information about what they will need for their intergalactic journey by visiting her favorite punk-rock librarian, Ms. Swoop, amassing space facts from the internet, and learning about astronaut-appropriate fare. However, Olga soon notices that something is wrong with Meh when her companion’s usually gentle demeanor and appearance both change for the worse. Will Olga be able to find out what is wrong with her cherished Olgamus ridiculus so they can embark upon their cosmic journey? Question-loving Olga describes herself as “grouchy,” but this seems a bit unfair; Olga is a strong—and wholly likable—character who values research and fact (usually over human interaction) and is not afraid to speak her mind, whether she’s confronting the popular girls or a vainglorious veterinarian. With pleasing, pink-toned two-color illustrations in an appealing graphic-hybrid format with large, charming artwork, this should appeal to an audience who likes their protagonists to be bold, smart, and welcoming of a gross-out joke or two.
A well-wrought sophomore offering with a delightfully unconventional heroine. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 7-11)Pub Date: March 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-235129-6
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2017
Thought-provoking and charming.
A sophisticated robot—with the capacity to use senses of sight, hearing, and smell—is washed to shore on an island, the only robot survivor of a cargo of 500.
When otters play with her protective packaging, the robot is accidently activated. Roz, though without emotions, is intelligent and versatile. She can observe and learn in service of both her survival and her principle function: to help. Brown links these basic functions to the kind of evolution Roz undergoes as she figures out how to stay dry and intact in her wild environment—not easy, with pine cones and poop dropping from above, stormy weather, and a family of cranky bears. She learns to understand and eventually speak the language of the wild creatures (each species with its different “accent”). An accident leaves her the sole protector of a baby goose, and Roz must ask other creatures for help to shelter and feed the gosling. Roz’s growing connection with her environment is sweetly funny, reminiscent of Randall Jarrell’s The Animal Family. At every moment Roz’s actions seem plausible and logical yet surprisingly full of something like feeling. Robot hunters with guns figure into the climax of the story as the outside world intrudes. While the end to Roz’s benign and wild life is startling and violent, Brown leaves Roz and her companions—and readers—with hope.
Thought-provoking and charming. (Science fiction/fantasy. 7-11)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-38199-4
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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