Fans of the trio’s earlier power struggle will find this one equally entertaining.
The titular characters walk into another book, with all the snarky attitude from their 2023 debut.
As an off-page narrator pushes for the story advertised by the title, Unicorn, Dinosaur, and Shark wrestle for narrative control, protesting that they were not even talking about riding a bicycle. The speaker insists on action—even just “DREAMING about how much fun it would be to ride a bicycle.” But the trio retort that the unicorn was dreaming about “beautiful rainbows,” and the others were thinking about snacks. The narrator snaps, “That is BORING,” but Unicorn seizes the book and starts telling the story of three friends who want to relax and dream of rainbows and snacks (this last is depicted as an adorable kitten) but keep getting pestered. Although the three characters are quite pleased, the narrator is disgusted (“Ugh”), and so is the kitten, clad in a rainbow T-shirt, who storms over to ride the bicycle. As the three grin and eye the feline, ready to pounce (the rainbow-loving unicorn’s excited by the kitten’s shirt; the other two view the cat as food), the kitty skitters off, leaving the bicycle and sarcastically urging the others to “enjoy the rest of your book.” Sherbet colors and Fenske’s zany cartoon style add to the madcap meta-textual fun.
Fans of the trio’s earlier power struggle will find this one equally entertaining. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 19, 2024
ISBN: 9780593519493
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
An immersive, charming read and convincing proof again that even small bodies can house stout hearts.
Can knightly deeds bring together a feathered odd couple who are on opposite daily schedules?
Having won over a dragon (and millions of fans) in the Caldecott Honor–winning Knight Owl (2022), the fierce yet impossibly cute nocturnal, armor-clad owlet faces a new challenge—sleep deprivation—in the wake of taking on Early Bird, a trainee who rises with the sun and chatters interminably: “I made pancakes! Do you like pancakes? I love pancakes! Where’s the syrup?” It’s enough to test the patience of even the knightliest of owls, and eventually Knight Owl explodes in anger. But although Early Bird is even smaller than her mentor, she turns out to be just as determined to achieve knighthood. After he tells her to leave, she acquits herself so nobly in a climactic encounter with a pack of wolves that she earns a place at the castle. Denise proves a dab hand at depicting genuinely slinky, scary wolves as well as slipping cheerfully anachronistic newspapers and other sight gags into his realistically wrought medieval settings to underscore the tale’s tongue-in-cheek tone. Better yet, a final view of the doughty duo sitting down together to a lavish pancake breakfast/dinner at dusk ends the episode in a sweet rush of syrup and bonhomie.
An immersive, charming read and convincing proof again that even small bodies can house stout hearts. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9780316564526
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
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