Higgins Hole is a paradisiacal reef off the Florida Keys, where sharks, shellfish and sealife of every kind live in harmony...
A middle-grade undersea fantasy angles to be a comical clambake but reels in only a damp debacle.
Higgins Hole is a paradisiacal reef off the Florida Keys, where sharks, shellfish and sealife of every kind live in harmony under the wise leadership of Lutus the lobster—until their peaceful idyll is invaded by the monstrous white shark Tacitus and his gang of thugs. Every denizen of the deep, from the tiniest shrimp to the giant blue whales, will have to summon unprecedented courage to save their home, with just a little unexpected assist from the abyss. The premise is a charming one, but when the prologue drains any potential suspense by announcing a complete, casualty-free victory, the story needs to rely instead upon a likable voice or clever execution. Unfortunately, the first-person narration by the vainglorious grandiloquent seahorse Petronius (and especially his tedious reliance on incessant, groan-worthy puns) quickly becomes annoying, while the broad political and social satire will most likely sail over the heads of younger readers. The cartoony ink illustrations provide a certain goofy brio, and the brief chapters and constant cliffhangers might make for a passable classroom read-aloud. The failure to allow any named female a role beyond passive oracle or silly damselfish-in-distress, however, unnecessarily excludes half the potential audience, while the condescending tone and corny humor will probably alienate the rest.Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-57091-641-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2012
Epic lunacy.
Will extragalactic rats eat the moon?
Can a cybernetic toenail clipper find a worthy purpose in the vast universe? Will the first feline astronaut ever get a slice of pizza? Read on. Reworked from the Live Cartoon series of homespun video shorts released on Instagram in 2020 but retaining that “we’re making this up as we go” quality, the episodic tale begins with the electrifying discovery that our moon is being nibbled away. Off blast one strong, silent, furry hero—“Meow”—and a stowaway robot to our nearest celestial neighbor to hook up with the imperious Queen of the Moon and head toward the dark side, past challenges from pirates on the Sea of Tranquility and a sphinx with a riddle (“It weighs a ton, but floats on air. / It’s bald but has a lot of hair.” The answer? “Meow”). They endure multiple close but frustratingly glancing encounters with pizza and finally deliver the malign, multiheaded Rat King and its toothy armies to a suitable fate. Cue the massive pizza party! Aside from one pirate captain and a general back on Earth, the human and humanoid cast in Harris’ loosely drawn cartoon panels, from the appropriately moon-faced queen on, is light skinned. Merch, music, and the original episodes are available on an associated website.
Epic lunacy. (Graphic science fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-308408-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to...
A group of talking farm animals catches wind of the farm owner’s intention to burn the barn (with them in it) for insurance money and hatches a plan to flee.
Bond begins briskly—within the first 10 pages, barn cat Burdock has overheard Dewey Baxter’s nefarious plan, and by Page 17, all of the farm animals have been introduced and Burdock is sharing the terrifying news. Grady, Dewey’s (ever-so-slightly) more principled brother, refuses to go along, but instead of standing his ground, he simply disappears. This leaves the animals to fend for themselves. They do so by relying on their individual strengths and one another. Their talents and personalities match their species, bringing an element of realism to balance the fantasy elements. However, nothing can truly compensate for the bland horror of the premise. Not the growing sense of family among the animals, the serendipitous intervention of an unknown inhabitant of the barn, nor the convenient discovery of an alternate home. Meanwhile, Bond’s black-and-white drawings, justly compared to those of Garth Williams, amplify the sense of dissonance. Charming vignettes and single- and double-page illustrations create a pastoral world into which the threat of large-scale violence comes as a shock.
Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to ponder the awkward coincidences that propel the plot. (Animal fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-544-33217-1
Page Count: 256
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 31, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015
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