by Tony Johnston & illustrated by Susannah Ryan ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1998
Best friends Sparky and Eddie are a pair of easy- readin'/easy-ridin' cowboys. It's rodeo day and the big-boots- wearing Sparky and ten-gallon-hat-wearing Eddie smack their jeans and gallop on their sock-headed horses, ya-hooing all the way to school. Tying up teddy bears, searching for boots, and tossing stale tortillas are slated events in the all-day rodeo. The tiebreaker is to come up with uses for a bandanna. When Eddie's team wins, Sparky gets weepy, and the obvious use for the bandanna is drying cowboy tears. A palette of sunset-colored watercolors imparts just the right amount of bustin'-at-the-seams energy, from the lasso-twirling principal to a class loop-de-looping themselves into a tangled heap. A galloping tale of friendship, with enough cowboy antics to satisfy new readers, budding Buffalo Bills, and Annie Oakleywannabes alike. (Fiction. 5-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-590-47984-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1998
Share your opinion of this book
More by Jin Wang
BOOK REVIEW
by Jin Wang with Tony Johnston ; illustrated by Anisi Baigude
BOOK REVIEW
by Tony Johnston ; illustrated by Tiffany Bozic
BOOK REVIEW
by Tony Johnston ; illustrated by Jim LaMarche
by Thomas Flintham ; illustrated by Thomas Flintham ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 3, 2017
A strong series start.
In a video game, a superpowered rabbit must rescue a singing dog that brings everyone happiness.
In the frame story, a brown-skinned human protagonist plays a video game on a handheld console evocative of the classic Nintendo Gameboy. The bulk of the book relates the game’s storyline: Animal Town is a peaceful place where everyone is delighted by Singing Dog, until the fun-hating King Viking (whose black-mustachioed, pink-skinned looks reference the Super Mario Brothers game series villain, Wario) uses his army of robots to abduct Singing Dog. To save Singing Dog—and fun—the animals send the fastest among them, Simon the Hedgehog, to get Super Rabbit Boy (who gains speed and jumping powers by eating special carrots) to save the day. The chapters take Super Rabbit Boy through video game levels, with classic, video game–style settings and enemies. Throughout the book, when the game’s player loses either a life in the game or the game entirely, the unnamed kid must choose to persevere and not give up. The storylines are differentiated by colorful art styles—cartoonish for the real world, 8-bit pixel-sprite–style for the game. The fast, repetitive plot uses basic, simple sentences and child-friendly objects of interest, such as lakes of lava, for children working on reading independence, while the nerdy in-jokes benefit adults reading with a child.
A strong series start. (Early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-338-03472-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Branches/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
Share your opinion of this book
More by Andy Mansfield
BOOK REVIEW
by Andy Mansfield ; illustrated by Thomas Flintham
BOOK REVIEW
by Thomas Flintham ; illustrated by Thomas Flintham
BOOK REVIEW
by Jonathan Litton ; illustrated by Thomas Flintham
by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 4, 2022
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
Share your opinion of this book
More by Alice Walstead
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Paul Gill
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.