Inspiration for anyone hoping to find a crew of foulmouthed, barnacle-laden sea dogs of their very own.
Self-actualization for this chipper bridge dweller comes when he trades goats for glory.
Failure comes in many forms. Cliff, alas, has mastered them all. He may be green and somewhat rectangular in shape, but at troll school, he’s just the worst. Everything—his demeanor, his singing, his vegetarianism—rankles his teacher and classmates. Ready to try something new, Cliff high-tails it to pirate school instead. Though it fits his personality to a T, the work is tough, and the little troll lives in fear of his next report card. Fortunately, when you love what you’re doing, that can make all the difference. There are smidgens of cleverness hidden in the margins of this seemingly simple tale. Jokes like one troll saying, “Trolls are landlubbers,” followed by “YEAH! We lub the land!” hit the spot. Likewise, while the cartoon art remains bubbly and cheery, it isn’t afraid to slip in the occasional “tibi ipsi esto fidelis” (“to thine own self be true”) hidden on a bridge for kicks. Cliff’s awakening isn’t granted without hard work on his part, an idea that has broad application. Even dreams must be earned.
Inspiration for anyone hoping to find a crew of foulmouthed, barnacle-laden sea dogs of their very own. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Jan. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-63217-246-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Bigfoot/Sasquatch
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
Take strength from the dreamers before you and follow your dreams. Or maybe just roll the dice.
Is it a book about aspirations or the backstory for the board game?
Chickapig is defined as “an animal hybrid that is half-chicken and half-pig” and is depicted in yellow, two-legged chick shape with pink pig snout and ears. Young Joe Chickapig lives on a farm that was his grandfather’s dream, but it’s getting Joe down. He dreams of adventure but needs the “courage to follow his heart. / But how could he do it? How could he start?” In a bedtime story, Joe’s mother shares the influential characters that helped Joe’s sailor grandfather “follow his heart against the tide.” It seems that “Grandpa had heard a story told / Of a great big bear who broke the mold. / The bear was tired of striking fear”—so he became a forest doctor and a friend to all. And the bear’s inspiration? “A mouse who went to space.” The mouse, in turn, found hope in a “fierce young dragon” who joined a rock band. And coming full circle, the dragon found courage from a Chickapig warrior who “tired of shields and swords to wield” and established a farm. Chickapig game fans will appreciate this fanciful rhyming tale illustrated in attention-grabbing colors, but readers coming to it cold will note a distinct absence of plot. Mouse and dragon present female; all others are male.
Take strength from the dreamers before you and follow your dreams. Or maybe just roll the dice. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7944-4452-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Printers Row
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
A kidnapped orphan races away to freedom. In an Arabian village, a little boy named Azad, who lives with his poor elderly uncle, fetches water for tea and tends to the goat before running off to play with his friends. His gymnastics skills attract the attention of a sheikh, who offers to train the boy as a camel rider. Whisked to the desert to live with a bunch of other boys, Azad competes in dangerous races and suffers brutal discipline. He and his camel Asfur become inseparable; one day, they win a race and keep going, until the men who have oppressed them are far in the distance. Boy and camel sleep curled up together under the desert moon and awake to the smiling faces of a group of Bedouins; Azad and Asfur have found a home at last. Pal's striking illustrations in watercolor and ink position sharply delineated characters in the foreground against soft, blurry desert backgrounds. Her heart-tugging tale also folds in a succinct social-studies lesson, and a brief afterword explains the controversial "sport" of camel racing. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-84507-982-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
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