A story to treasure, full of kindness in a magical world.
Enjoy a magic-filled glimpse into your cat’s secret life when you are away.
After their human leaves for work, Squash, a one-eyed calico cat, and Ginny, a ginger cat, raid the kitchen cabinets. Soon they’ve eaten all the snacks. But they want more! Squash pulls out a magic wand and consults a book of spells to create a snack potion. They will need a “scale from a catfish in Mewmaid Ocean…a lava rock from Mount Lava…and a jar of rain from the Enchanted Rain Forest,” according to Squash. “Easy peasy!” says Ginny, except Ginny impetuously sends them “woosh”ing through a portal before the more-practical Squash is prepared. Luckily, they land at Mewmaid Ocean. During their search, they meet Coral, a catfish (portrayed as half cat and half fish) who challenges them to an exciting water race; Magma, a lost lava dog; riddler Kumi, the volcano spirit; and bun-fairy Lotus, queen of the (struggling) Enchanted Rain Forest, where it hasn’t rained for weeks. The cats have their ingredients, but they are now faced with a moral dilemma. Will they give up two potion ingredients to help the forest live? A surprise ending finds the cats rewarded and able to share their good fortune with their new friends. This first book in a series uses boldly colored cartoons, fanciful character designs, creative problem-solving, and chapter-ending cliffhangers to keep young readers turning pages.
A story to treasure, full of kindness in a magical world. (Graphic fantasy. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-308381-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
What a wag.
What do you get from sewing the head of a smart dog onto the body of a tough police officer? A new superhero from the incorrigible creator of Captain Underpants.
Finding a stack of old Dog Mancomics that got them in trouble back in first grade, George and Harold decide to craft a set of new(ish) adventures with (more or less) improved art and spelling. These begin with an origin tale (“A Hero Is Unleashed”), go on to a fiendish attempt to replace the chief of police with a “Robo Chief” and then a temporarily successful scheme to make everyone stupid by erasing all the words from every book (“Book ’Em, Dog Man”), and finish off with a sort of attempted alien invasion evocatively titled “Weenie Wars: The Franks Awaken.” In each, Dog Man squares off against baddies (including superinventor/archnemesis Petey the cat) and saves the day with a clever notion. With occasional pauses for Flip-O-Rama featurettes, the tales are all framed in brightly colored sequential panels with hand-lettered dialogue (“How do you feel, old friend?” “Ruff!”) and narrative. The figures are studiously diverse, with police officers of both genders on view and George, the chief, and several other members of the supporting cast colored in various shades of brown. Pilkey closes as customary with drawing exercises, plus a promise that the canine crusader will be further unleashed in a sequel.
What a wag. (Graphic fantasy. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-58160-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
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