A boisterous roundup of creepy but friendly creatures with butt horns, multiple eyes, fuzz, and more.
A picture-book guide to fantastic island monsters.
Imagine a safari where instead of lions, giraffes, and ostriches, there is a creature called a Zabb: part eagle, part chimp, part crab, part chicken, and part beagle. In Emmons’ picture book, a cordial blue-skinned and green-eyed monster named Cornelius leads tours of the tropical and snowcapped Creepington Isle’s magnificent monsters. When arriving at the dock, never mind the tentacles, scales, and claws; the dapperly dressed Cornelius, in a blazer, button down, bowtie, and bowler hat, is a gracious host. Some monsters have onomatopoeic names that seem befitting, like the Yumbler, the Bammer, and the Gabble. Others have names that are a combination of their features, including the Bink (who has big, stinky feet) and the Slurm (a long, slime-loving worm). Some have names that just seem randomly nonsensical, such as the Bleephus, the Yopp, and the Zilla-Ma-Zong. Regular animals live there too, as squirrels, penguins, spiders, and butterflies are seen in the coconut trees and on the ice. (Kaijan, a giant flying chipmunk, seems out of place.) At the tour’s end, there’s a monster party, and Cornelius assures readers that “there’s nothing to fear.” The author’s rhyming descriptions are catchy and fun (“She munches on bicycles, fences and trees. She’ll eat a piano and spit out the keys!”); they complement Whitehead’s outlandish looking monsters, with their outlandish and occasionally gross traits. This rhyming jaunt through monsterland will surely invite giggles.
A boisterous roundup of creepy but friendly creatures with butt horns, multiple eyes, fuzz, and more.Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9798337511085
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
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