An enchanting fairy tale.
No granted wish comes without strings attached.
Left alone when her mother died, wild-maned moppet Olga, who knows nothing about her father, now runs with the nefarious Mr. Bulgakov and bighearted older-brother figure Pavel. For years, the three have kept moving, swindling villagers for food and profit, often using a form of magic possessed by Olga to create illusions. Olga does not feel good about this lifestyle, but years of being taught to look out for herself have inured her to it. That is, until an escape from law enforcement lands them in the Kamen Mountains, where legend tells of the Scarlet Heart, a jewel that could change their lives. Escaping from Mr. Bulgakov to search for it, Olga and Pavel find themselves in the lavish Sokolov Palace, complete with a swan-filled aviary and extravagant balls hosted by the enigmatic Baron Sokolov. Of course, it’s all too good to be true, and Olga soon must try to unlock a “distorted, infected” magic, unaware that her own fate is inextricably linked to it. Segments of the story are cleverly previewed by an omniscient spider storyteller who addresses readers and asks them thoughtful questions. The characters are interesting, and the story, lovingly inspired by the ballets Giselle and Swan Lake, is well developed and moves briskly. Engaging illustrations, reminiscent of woodcut prints, add interest and context as the tale unfolds. In this Eastern European–influenced world, characters read white.
An enchanting fairy tale. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9780593121696
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often...
A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.
Young Fern Arable pleads for the life of runt piglet Wilbur and gets her father to sell him to a neighbor, Mr. Zuckerman. Daily, Fern visits the Zuckermans to sit and muse with Wilbur and with the clever pen spider Charlotte, who befriends him when he is lonely and downcast. At the news of Wilbur's forthcoming slaughter, campaigning Charlotte, to the astonishment of people for miles around, spins words in her web. "Some Pig" comes first. Then "Terrific"—then "Radiant". The last word, when Wilbur is about to win a show prize and Charlotte is about to die from building her egg sac, is "Humble". And as the wonderful Charlotte does die, the sadness is tempered by the promise of more spiders next spring.
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often informative as amusing, and the whole tenor of appealing wit and pathos will make fine entertainment for reading aloud, too.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1952
ISBN: 978-0-06-026385-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1952
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
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