An energetic romp with a conservation motif.
A girl’s determination, combined with a little bit of magic, has the power to save kingdoms and the ecosystem.
Solimar is the daughter of Mexican royalty—though she won’t become a princess until she celebrates her quinceañera in a few weeks. While her family seems to excel at fulfilling the royal duties, Solimar pushes back against expectations—especially gender roles—and yearns for adventure. An encounter with the beautiful monarch butterflies that migrate annually through Solimar’s kingdom leaves her with a gift—her rebozo, or shawl, which now appears to be covered in butterfly wings, grants her intuition about the future. The newfound ability may also be draining the butterflies’ energy, so Solimar must keep it a secret to preserve them. A rival king discovers her power and plans to exploit it along with the butterfly territory through underhanded deals and hostage taking. Solimar manages to escape and must make a treacherous journey to foil the plot. The story moves briskly from problem to resolution. The text gives a nod to the colonialism that has impacted Mexico, mentioning the original borders of the country as well as Solimar’s Spanish and Indigenous heritage. Solimar’s mother is European and Indigenous and has dark brown skin; Solimar is described as having dark brown eyes and short black curls. Though the story is written about a teen, the engaging plotline and whimsical elements will appeal to a younger audience.
An energetic romp with a conservation motif. (information about monarch butterflies) (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4847-2835-2
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit.
Eleven-year-old Maria Russo helps her charlatan mother hoodwink customers, but Maria has a spirited secret.
Maria’s mother, the psychic Madame Destine, cons widows out of their valuables with the assistance of their apartment building’s super, Mr. Fox. Madame Destine home-schools Maria, and because Destine is afraid of unwanted attention, she forbids Maria from talking to others. Maria is allowed to go to the library, where new librarian Ms. Madigan takes an interest in Maria that may cause her trouble. Meanwhile, Sebastian, Maria’s new upstairs neighbor, would like to be friends. All this interaction makes it hard for Maria to keep her secret: that she is visited by Edward, a spirit who tells her the actual secrets of Madame Destine’s clients via spirit writing. When Edward urges Maria to help Mrs. Fisher, Madame Destine’s most recent mark, Maria must overcome her shyness and her fear of her mother—helping Mrs. Fisher may be the key to the mysterious past Maria uncovers and a brighter future. Alas, picture-book–creator Ford’s middle-grade debut is a muddled, melodramatic mystery with something of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink feel: In addition to the premise, there’s a tragically dead father, a mysterious family tree, and the Beat poets. Sluggish pacing; stilted, unrealistic dialogue; cartoonishly stock characters; and unattractive, flat illustrations make this one to miss. Maria and Sebastian are both depicted with brown skin, hers lighter than his; the other principals appear to be white.
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit. (author’s note) (Paranormal mystery. 7-10)Pub Date: July 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-20567-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Good-hearted fun—great for fans of Kit Feeny and Babymouse.
It’s a Bigfeet family reunion!
Everyone’s favorite frosty, furry cryptid, the yeti, actually has a name: Blizz Richards. From his supersecret HQ in Nepal he keeps in touch with his fellow cryptids, all of whom have sworn an oath to keep themselves hidden. That’s not always easy, especially when there are cryptozoologists, like the nasty (but bumbling) George Vanquist, who are always trying to expose the secretive creatures. Vanquist got a picture of Blizz’s cousin Brian near his home in British Columbia, causing the mortified Brian to disappear entirely. When Blizz receives an invitation to a Bigfeet family reunion in Canada, he calls his buddies Alexander (one of Santa’s elves), Gunthar (a goblin) and Frank the Arctic fox to help him get ready. When they arrive in Canada, Brian is still nowhere to be seen. Can Blizz and his skunk ape and other sasquatch cousins find Brian, have the reunion and evade Vanquist? If anyone can, the Bigfeet clan can. Illustrator Sherry’s first volume in the Yeti Files is a fast and funny graphic-prose tale full of labeled pictures and comic-style panels. Those just starting chapter books may have some trouble with a few big words, but they’ll enjoy the big friendly monsters and immediately ask for the next tale—which looks to be about the Loch Ness monster.
Good-hearted fun—great for fans of Kit Feeny and Babymouse. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 7-10)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-55617-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
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