The significant subtext and captivating illustrations make this original tale a great teaching tool for educators and...
According to legend, the fictional valley of Krum is guarded by the Silver Fox and the Fire Wolf, the spirits of ice and fire respectively.
The villagers of Krum lead a pleasant if simple life, foraging for crown-shell snails for their food by day and at night returning to their homes among the treetops. Mio and Nao are (adult) siblings who live atop the tallest tree, and although they are very different from each other, they are the best foragers in Krum. One day, Nao finds a magic jewel inside one of the shells, and she decides to wear it around her neck. However, this act seems to change the world: The sky darkens, the river runs more slowly, and there are increasingly fewer snails to gather—until there are none left. Led by Mio’s wisdom and Nao’s bravery, the villagers of Krum go on a quest to restore balance to their land. Hari and Deepti’s narrative reads like a folktale. Although the storyline isn’t particularly original, the tale highlights the importance of environmental awareness and sensitivity and cautions against greed. The white type against a black background strikingly sets off the bold and beautiful illustrations. Mostly silhouettes against a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors, they are full of movement and pattern, the roots and branches of trees reinforcing the sense of a web of life.
The significant subtext and captivating illustrations make this original tale a great teaching tool for educators and librarians. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5247-0152-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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
A gentle adventure that sets the stage for future quests.
A lonely prince gains a friend for a quest to find a missing jewel.
Prince Lucas of Wrenly has everything a boy could possibly want—except a friend. His father has forbidden him to play with the village children for reasons of propriety. Adventure-seeking Lucas acquires peasant clothes to masquerade as a commoner and make friends, but he is caught out. His mother, the queen, persuades the king to allow him one friend: Clara, the daughter of her personal dressmaker. When the queen’s prized emerald pendant goes missing, Lucas and Clara set off to find it. They follow the jewel as it changes hands, interviewing each temporary owner. Their adventure cleverly introduces the series’ world and peoples, taking the children to the fairy island of Primlox, the trolls’ home of Burth, the wizard island of Hobsgrove and finally Mermaid’s Cove. By befriending the mermaids, Lucas and Clara finally recover the jewel. In thanks, the king gives Clara a horse of her own so that she may ride with Lucas on their future adventures. The third-person narration is generally unobtrusive, allowing the characters to take center stage. The charming, medieval-flavored illustrations set the fairy-tale scene and take up enough page space that new and reluctant readers won’t be overwhelmed by text.
A gentle adventure that sets the stage for future quests. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-9691-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
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