Entertaining mini-adventures that don’t add up to very much.
In this children’s fantasy adventure novel, a brother and sister pass through a mysterious gateway and explore other worlds.
Sometimes, 10-year-old twins Callon and Morwen Taylor of the fictional Canadian town of Hammersmith experience what they call “the power”: Whenever their golden retriever, Peaches, is standing between them and their hands are touching, they feel a warm, glowing energy flowing between and around them. During a family hike in a woodland conservation area, the twins and their pet discover an archway, covered by a shimmering gold curtain. After Peaches bounds through it and disappears, Morwen and Callon follow, soon finding themselves in a beautiful meadow where Peaches can now communicate with them telepathically. Their ensuing explorations in this new world turn dangerous, however, when they encounter a “lake monster.” Only by using the power can they return through the portal—and they find that, in their own world, no time has elapsed. As the twins repeatedly revisit the portal, they keep discovering different worlds with different dangers; before long, they invite their best friends, Lily and Zeke, to join the fun. After one especially perilous escapade, they’re rescued by a mysterious figure—at the cost of a favor to be repaid later. In his debut book, Haslam employs a classic theme in fantasy literature: the magical doorway. The settings, nemeses, and predicaments are well-varied, but the overall structure of the narrative—explore, chase and/or capture, escape—quickly becomes very predictable, and the story spends no time on significant character development. The adventures offer a lot of lively action and are often funny. However, the real-world narration can be dry: “The hikes were both fun and educational.” Animal lovers may also be upset by several episodes in which Peaches is attacked and injured.
Entertaining mini-adventures that don’t add up to very much.Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-03-910544-7
Page Count: 162
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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