A high-interest fantasy romp.
Three friends face one giant problem.
Since narrowly escaping many dangers in Mihi Ever After (2022), Korean American Mihi Whan Park has been afraid to admit her secret to besties Reese and Savannah: She misses the Rainbow Realm and its magic. When Genevieve, Mihi’s former best friend and current archnemesis, is near tears due to punishment for a fight they got into at school, Mihi impulsively tells her about the Rainbow Realm in an attempt to cheer her up. Soon after, Genevieve disappears—and Mihi discovers her backpack near the portal. Mihi, Reese, and Savannah decide they ought to rescue Genevieve even though “she’s rude and a little spoiled and she doesn’t seem to care about other people’s feelings.” They are surprised to find the Rainbow Realm in dire straits thanks to a large beanstalk and a giant who has been stealing the rain. The action-packed plot maintains a brisk pace as the trio meet with familiar characters, friendly and otherwise, and learn that Genevieve has gone searching for the giant’s gold. Using a spell, the three girls disguise themselves and sneak into the giant’s ball. Even though they are captured, with a bit of magic and ingenuity, they are able to save the day. Keller deftly explores both perseverance and the evolving nature of friendships that sometimes need to end. Readers would benefit from familiarity with the first book. The ending paves the way for another adventure. Final art not seen.
A high-interest fantasy romp. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9781250814227
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often...
A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.
Young Fern Arable pleads for the life of runt piglet Wilbur and gets her father to sell him to a neighbor, Mr. Zuckerman. Daily, Fern visits the Zuckermans to sit and muse with Wilbur and with the clever pen spider Charlotte, who befriends him when he is lonely and downcast. At the news of Wilbur's forthcoming slaughter, campaigning Charlotte, to the astonishment of people for miles around, spins words in her web. "Some Pig" comes first. Then "Terrific"—then "Radiant". The last word, when Wilbur is about to win a show prize and Charlotte is about to die from building her egg sac, is "Humble". And as the wonderful Charlotte does die, the sadness is tempered by the promise of more spiders next spring.
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often informative as amusing, and the whole tenor of appealing wit and pathos will make fine entertainment for reading aloud, too.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1952
ISBN: 978-0-06-026385-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1952
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
Certain to steal hearts.
In this follow-up to 2020’s The One and Only Bob, Ruby the elephant is still living at Wildworld Zoological Park and Sanctuary.
She’s apprehensive about her Tuskday, a rite of passage for young elephants when she’ll give a speech in front of the rest of the herd. Luckily, she can confide in her Uncle Ivan, who is next door in Gorilla World, and Uncle Bob, the dog who lives nearby with human friend Julia. Ruby was born in an unspecified part of Africa, later ending up on display in the mall, where she met Ivan, Bob, and Julia. The unexpected arrival of someone from Ruby’s past life on the savanna revives memories both warmly nostalgic and deeply traumatic. An elephant glossary and Castelao’s charming, illustrated guide to elephant body language help immerse readers in Ruby’s world. Goofy, playful, and mischievous Ruby is fully dimensional, as she has shown her bravery during the many hardships of her young life. Applegate deftly tempers themes of grief and loss with compassion and humor as Ruby finds her place in the herd. The author’s note touches on climate change, the illegal ivory trade, and conservation efforts, but the highly emotive framing of the story through the memories of a bewildered baby elephant emphasizes the impact of lines such as “ ‘in Africa,’ I say softly, ‘there were bad people,’ ” without offering readers a nuanced understanding of the broader context that drives poaching.
Certain to steal hearts. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780063080089
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
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