When Mr. Billingsly leaves the bathwater running and locks himself out of the house, Edward the fish finally gets the vacation he has been longing for. As the water rises and fills the house, Edward swims from his fishbowl and begins to explore. He cleverly rids himself of Mr. B's 14 hungry cats—who can't swim—and then makes some rules for his new domain. First and foremost, Edward is the boss. He has a run-in with a fat cat who hangs around for a bite of seafood, but he escapes and once again rules his roost. Then Mr. B returns with the fire department and the mayor, who want to save his house. Mr. B asks them not to break down the door, to spare Edward's life and dignity (the shame of being caught in a net!) and he can see no alternative but to find a new place to live, since he can't swim. Edward thinks of life without his friend and decides that a vacation is nice, but Mr. B is more important, so he settles into his bowl and pulls the bathtub plug. Home alone with a piscine twist from newcomer Sincic. Kids will relate to Edward's initial frustration, his first intoxicating flush of freedom, and his final realization that ``the best part of vacation is coming home again.'' (Illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-8050-3491-9
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1994
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda.
Hank Zipzer, poster boy for dyslexic middle graders everywhere, stars in a new prequel series highlighting second-grade trials and triumphs.
Hank’s hopes of playing Aqua Fly, a comic-book character, in the upcoming class play founder when, despite plenty of coaching and preparation, he freezes up during tryouts. He is not particularly comforted when his sympathetic teacher adds a nonspeaking role as a bookmark to the play just for him. Following the pattern laid down in his previous appearances as an older child, he gets plenty of help and support from understanding friends (including Ashley Wong, a new apartment-house neighbor). He even manages to turn lemons into lemonade with a quick bit of improv when Nick “the Tick” McKelty, the sneering classmate who took his preferred role, blanks on his lines during the performance. As the aforementioned bully not only chokes in the clutch and gets a demeaning nickname, but is fat, boastful and eats like a pig, the authors’ sensitivity is rather one-sided. Still, Hank has a winning way of bouncing back from adversity, and like the frequent black-and-white line-and-wash drawings, the typeface is designed with easy legibility in mind.
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-448-48239-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
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