A whimsical and melodious tale for those seeking adventure fare that’s on the quiet side.
Two brothers find themselves an unlikely pet.
In rhyming ballad stanzas, two orange-haired white brothers, Flynn and Paddy, live “away across the oceans…upon a wondrous island.” Their remote home, with such extraordinarily titled locales as the Swamp of Children’s Wishes and Mother’s Knee Hill, also is home to other denizens: dragons. Continuing from their last adventure when a dragon absconded with their dog (The Dragon Hunters, 2017), the boys learn that a brief rest on a rock and a bit of flatulence unwittingly hatches a dragon. Predictably, the baby dragon believes the boys to be its mother, and the children must sneak their new pet into the house without their mother’s knowledge. Russell’s gentle and lyrical offering combines with Choi’s large, softly focused, and dreamlike illustrations to make for a soothing, dulcet read-aloud for young dragon aficionados, although expect a lukewarm reception from those yearning for thrilling tales of fiery-breathed beasts. This series boasts an augmented-reality component in which an app will bring an included map to life—complete with tiny flying dragons, a diaphanous cloud, and minuscule animations of Paddy and Flynn—and while it certainly adds to the narrative, it is identical to the AR of its predecessor.
A whimsical and melodious tale for those seeking adventure fare that’s on the quiet side. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: June 6, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4864-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 5, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, if oft-told, story.
A plush toy rabbit bonds with a boy and watches him grow into adulthood.
The boy receives the blue bunny for his birthday and immediately becomes attached to it. Unbeknownst to him, the ungendered bunny is sentient; it engages in dialogue with fellow toys, giving readers insight into its thoughts. The bunny's goal is to have grand adventures when the boy grows up and no longer needs its company. The boy spends many years playing imaginatively with the bunny, holding it close during both joyous and sorrowful times and taking it along on family trips. As a young man, he marries, starts a family, and hands over the beloved toy to his toddler-aged child in a crib. The bunny's epiphany—that he does not need to wait for great adventures since all his dreams have already come true in the boy's company—is explicitly stated in the lengthy text, which is in many ways similar to The Velveteen Rabbit (1922). The illustrations, which look hand-painted but were digitally created, are moderately sentimental with an impressionistic dreaminess (one illustration even includes a bunny-shaped cloud in the sky) and a warm glow throughout. The depiction of a teenage male openly displaying his emotions—hugging his beloved childhood toy for example—is refreshing. All human characters present as White expect for one of the boy’s friends who is Black.
A sweet, if oft-told, story. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72825-448-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
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