A lighthearted madcap caper.
In this high-stakes series opener by debut author Markham, the three Spy Sisters tackle a mission to save the world on instructions from the mysterious Dr. Nobody.
Ten-year-old middle sister Scarlett Macaw doesn’t want to jump out of a plane, but her 13-year-old sister, Kay-7, says, “Real heroes are afraid a lot of the time, but they do the job anyway. That’s who we are.” And so they leap, along with 6-year-old sister Mia, a language expert, who helpfully defines her $10 words for her sisters—and the readers. Unfortunately, they’re too late to stop the pale, red-bearded man known as Snake Ten-Fangs from entering the maharaja’s palace and stealing a valuable carpet. The sisters, whose parents are also spies, train relentlessly with Sensei Takahashi (a short, gray-haired man with heterochromia) and help carry out Dr. Nobody’s missions to preserve world peace. But when Ten-Fangs captures the adults, the Spy Sisters are left on their own to rescue them. They’re creative, determined, armed, and loyal, though Scarlett, in particular, is beginning to question their orders and Dr. Nobody’s identity. The tongue-in-cheek tone is balanced with earnestness, and the inventive gadgets, swift pacing, young heroes, and clear moral (“We can never stop doing what’s right, even when bad things happen”) will please adventure fans. Bruner’s humorous, cartoonlike illustrations throughout increase the book’s accessibility and appeal. The girls’ dad presents white, and their mom is implied white and Mexican.
A lighthearted madcap caper. (reading guide) (Adventure. 7-10)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781639935345
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
Dizzyingly silly.
The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.
Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.
Dizzyingly silly. (Humor. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape.
The fourth installment in Delacre’s early-reader series centers on the rich musical traditions of Puerto Rico, once again featuring sibling tree frogs Rafi and Rosi Coquí.
Readers learn along with Rafi and Rosi as they explore bomba, plena, and salsa in three chapters. A glossary at the beginning sets readers up well to understand the Spanish vocabulary, including accurate phoneticization for non-Spanish speakers. The stories focus on Rafi and Rosi’s relationship within a musical context. For example, in one chapter Rafi finds out that he attracts a larger audience playing his homemade güiro with Rosi’s help even though he initially excluded her: “Big brothers only.” Even when he makes mistakes, as the older brother, Rafi consoles Rosi when she is embarrassed or angry at him. In each instance, their shared joy for music and dance ultimately shines through any upsets—a valuable reflection of unity. Informational backmatter and author’s sources are extensive. Undoubtedly these will help teachers, librarians, and parents to develop Puerto Rican cultural programs, curriculum, or home activities to extend young readers’ learning. The inclusion of instructions to make one’s own homemade güiro is a thoughtful addition. The Spanish translation, also by Delacre and published simultaneously, will require a more advanced reader than the English one to recognize and comprehend contractions (“pa’bajo-pa-pa’rriba”) and relatively sophisticated vocabulary.
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape. (Early reader. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-89239-429-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Children's Book Press
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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