Interesting in its depiction of an Israeli archaeological site, but side issues disturb.
Dabi loves digging and dirt and mud.
While visiting Israel with her parents, she spends her time digging for worms, making shapes from mud, and enjoying the mess. Ima and Abba insist that she cease her tomboy ways and be more ladylike. But her aunt is more understanding. Doda Gili calls Dabi an “adventure girl” and has a wonderful plan for her. Gili takes Dabi to join an archaeological dig headed by a woman, who gives Dabi a trowel and directs her to fill up buckets with soil. When the soil is sifted, an ancient gold ring is found. Since all artifacts belong to the state, she can’t keep it, but Dabi is more than satisfied with her adventure. Her parents see only the dirt until Gili tells them of her find and demands that they show pride in her accomplishment, though it seems to take official recognition and a certificate to seal the deal. Dabi is delightfully curious and strong-willed, but her need for Gili’s intervention as a buffer to counter her parents’ gender stereotyping is disappointing. Large-scale, detailed portraits bring the characters, all pale skinned and Jewish, to life and show every emotion, especially at picture-book–viewing distance. Ima’s and Abba’s body language is unsubtle and exaggerated; they appear angry and almost frightening, not smiling until Dabi receives the award. Readers might find the family dynamics quite uncomfortable, perhaps overshadowing what is meant to be an affirmation of Dabi’s skills and determination.
Interesting in its depiction of an Israeli archaeological site, but side issues disturb. (glossary, author’s note) (Picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: May 10, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7336865-0-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Alazar Press
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
Dizzyingly silly.
The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.
Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.
Dizzyingly silly. (Humor. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale.
After a tsunami devastates their habitat in the Salish Sea, a young orca and her brother embark on a remarkable adventure.
Vega’s matriarchal family expects her to become a hunter and wayfinder, with her younger brother, Deneb, protecting and supporting her. Invited to guide her family to their Gathering Place to hunt salmon, Vega’s underwater miscalculations endanger them all, and an embarrassed Vega questions whether she should be a wayfinder. When the baby sister she hoped would become her life companion is stillborn, a distraught Vega carries the baby away to a special resting place, shocking her grieving family. Dispatched to find his missing sister, Deneb locates Vega in the midst of a terrible tsunami. To escape the waters polluted by shattered boats, Vega leads Deneb into unfamiliar open sea. Alone and hungry, the young siblings encounter a spectacular giant whale and travel briefly with shark-hunting orcas. Trusting her instincts and gaining emotional strength from contemplating the vastness of the sky, Vega knows she must lead her brother home and help save her surviving family. In alternating first-person voices, Vega and Deneb tell their harrowing story, engaging young readers while educating them about the marine ecosystem. Realistic black-and-white illustrations enhance the maritime setting.
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale. (maps, wildlife facts, tribes of the Salish Sea watershed, environmental and geographical information, how to help orcas, author’s note, artist’s note, resources) (Animal fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-299592-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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