A warm, quiet and cozy tale that’s a sweet-tempered reminder that even the longest of winters must eventually give way to...
A gentle tale of woodland creatures trying to chase away winter gloom with a festive carnival.
It’s been a particularly lengthy and arduous winter for the blended Fox and Badger family. They’ve been crowded into a cramped burrow and have been scrounging and scrimping to get through the frosty dearth. The creatures are tiring of the exhausting work that yields few results. One evening, the fox kit and badger cubs are surprised by visitors: Grandpa and Grandma Fox. Sweet Grandpa Fox is fun but foolish, bringing unrest to the once-harmonious den. However, when he suggests a carnival to chase away winter, the cozy menagerie comes together to have a little spirited fun. Set against an ethereal watercolor palette, this softly told graphic offering moves slowly but lightly, like the fine snow that the animals take shelter from. The foxes and badgers are likable through and through, reminiscent of such other forest friends as Winnie the Pooh or Frog and Toad. Though this is the fifth installment of the series, it is fine as a stand-alone tale, with its complete and self-contained story.
A warm, quiet and cozy tale that’s a sweet-tempered reminder that even the longest of winters must eventually give way to spring. (Graphic animal fantasy. 6-9)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4677-4203-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: Aug. 5, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
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
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SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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