A heartfelt time-travel tale with a comforting message for young readers.
Small’s sequel continues a children’s fantasy series about a boy, a brass ring, and a carousel ride of teleporting animals.
Eleven-year-old Rusty Boydisn’t too excited about accompanying his mom to the mall the day before Thanksgiving. His attitude quickly changes, however, when he sees a Christmas-themed carousel set up for the holiday season. Rusty wonders if the animals on this ride are magical because his grandfather once gave him a brass ring that, when paired with carousel animals, has the power to teleport him to other times and places. His first adventure took him, along with his grandfather and his uncle Ethan, to a place where he helped save a baby from a burning building. Rusty wants to know more about the brass ring, but his grandfather, who has Alzheimer’s disease, has memory problems, so Rusty must figure things out on his own. What starts out as an ordinary mall trip becomes the beginning of his own solo adventures. After his first ride on the carousel’s polar bear, which leads him to the Arctic Circle,he’s determined to ride the other animals—especially the one that voices in his head urge him to ride: “Ride the donkey. / The donkey.” First, though, he rides a St. Bernard and winds up in the Alps—but his greatest journey’s still to come. Small makes Rusty’s thoughts and dialogue ring true; he’s annoyed by his little sister, determined to earn money for an expensive gift, and drawn to adventure—all of which youngsters will find relatable. He’s also exposed to job loss, financial worries, and illness, among other heavy issues. Small effectively adds lightness to the narrative by focusing on the lessons that Rusty learns along the way, which are reinforced by people he encounters day to day. There’s a clear link between the settings and the lessons, for the most part, although the polar bear and St. Bernard adventures feel less solidly connected to their themes.
A heartfelt time-travel tale with a comforting message for young readers.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9798987444085
Page Count: 186
Publisher: Carousel Acres Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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