by Julie Falatko ; illustrated by Colin Jack ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 29, 2019
Fans of the first should enjoy this second hijinks-filled outing of this school story/animal fantasy hybrid.
Hounds Waldo and Sassy are now fully integrated into life at Bea Arthur Memorial Elementary School.
Disguised as human student Salty (who must be a very weird-looking child), the pooches love school. They love running fast in gym and singing in music class. Most of all they love the cafeteria; school lunch is the most delicious food imaginable. When their human boy, Stewart, joins the Junior Office Supply Enthusiasts, a club his paperclip-happy parents enjoyed in their youths, the dogs are a bit dismayed to find out that this club isn’t the kind you can eat, so Waldo and Sassy head to the cafeteria to play “lunch human” while they wait. It’s here they inadvertently start a club of their own. Can they convince Stewart, who doesn’t smell as though he enjoys his club, to resign and join theirs? What will his parents say? Young readers will get a kick out of the wordplay and the many puns, while the irony will induce plenty of eye-rolling among adults. The same playful design elements that distinguished the series opener are present: special typefaces indicate the dogs’ favorite foods and “Salty’s” dialogue. Human skin color isn’t called out within the text, but the familiar cartoonish black-and-white artwork shows a diverse cast of characters, led once again by white Stewart.
Fans of the first should enjoy this second hijinks-filled outing of this school story/animal fantasy hybrid. (Fantasy. 7-12)Pub Date: Jan. 29, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-18953-7
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
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by Julie Falatko ; illustrated by Ruth Chan
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by Julie Falatko ; illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo
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by Katherine Applegate ; illustrated by Patricia Castelao ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2024
Not the most satisfying wrap-up, but it’s always good to spend time in the world of this series.
Beloved gorilla Ivan becomes a father to rambunctious twins in this finale to a quartet that began with 2012’s Newbery Award–winning The One and Only Ivan.
Life hasn’t always been easy for silverback gorilla Ivan, who’s spent most of his life being mistreated in captivity. Now he’s living in a wildlife sanctuary, but he still gets to see his two best friends. Young elephant Ruby lives in the grassy habitat next door, and former stray dog Bob has a home with one of the zookeepers. All three were rescued from the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. Ivan’s expanded world includes fellow gorilla Kinyani—the two are about to become parents, and Ivan is revisiting the traumas of his past in light of what he wants the twins to know. When the subject inevitably comes up, Applegate’s trust and respect for readers is evident. She doesn’t shy away from hard truths as Ivan wrestles with the fact that poachers killed his family. Readers will need the context provided by knowledge of the earlier books to feel the full emotional impact of this story. The rushed ending unfortunately falls flat, detracting from the central message that a complex life can still contain hope. Final art not seen.
Not the most satisfying wrap-up, but it’s always good to spend time in the world of this series. (gorilla games, glossary, author’s note) (Verse fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9780063221123
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko ; illustrated by Wallace West
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by Katherine Applegate ; illustrated by Patricia Castelao
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by Peter Brown ; illustrated by Peter Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 26, 2023
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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by Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter Brown
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by Peter Brown ; illustrated by Peter Brown
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by Peter Brown ; illustrated by Peter Brown
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