A gentle tale of intergenerational and interracial friendship. Mr. George Baker is Harry’s 100-year-old (“no kidding”) neighbor, a drummer man (“some people say he’s famous”), who waits with Harry for the school bus. Together they munch chocolate candies on the porch; together they get on the bus. Harry and George are both learning to read, Harry with his peers, George in an adult education class down the hall: “. . . it’s hard,” thinks Harry. But “we can do it,” says George. Hest’s present-tense narration gets Harry’s voice just right, as he corrects his grammar in his head and takes George’s fame in stride. Muth’s soft watercolors play with perspective, the tall, thin black man and the short red-headed boy completely at ease with each other. There’s not much story here, just waiting for the bus, but the moment is captured sweetly, just in time for school. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-7636-1233-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
High-spirited fun.
Catch adventure while you can.
A group of kids, who have attempted to corral everything from the Tooth Fairy to Santa Claus in previous series installments, are watching a feature called The Invisible Bad Guy at a carnival. Suddenly, the titular villain tumbles from the screen and nabs the kids’ net. He’s convinced that with the aid of this “Supreme Catcher,” he’ll be unstoppable in his goal of world domination. He creates more mischief by using the net to make himself actually invisible before leading the kids on a merry chase. The youngsters remain in hot pursuit, keeping up the frenetic pace on the roller coaster, race cars, and other rides and amusements; even paint poured on the bad guy doesn’t slow him down one bit. But then, the kids ultimately triumph: Their quarry loses the Supreme Catcher and becomes visible again while conceding that the adventure was fun; the kids retrieve their net, and the bad guy returns to his movie. Just another day of chasing. The rhymes are often awkward, and the premise is a bit confusing—why exactly does the children’s net have the power of invisibility? Still, series devotees likely won’t question this plot point; they’ll enjoy the upbeat verse, the energetic digital illustrations, and the carnival setting. Characters are diverse.
High-spirited fun. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 11, 2025
ISBN: 9781728293066
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Readers will enjoy going to the dogs with this one.
The start of a beautiful canine friendship.
Brown, shaggy Doggo seems content with his “same old, same old,” “could have been worse” daily existence. His pal Cat keeps him company, and he stays busy with numerous jobs around the house. Though he’s sometimes nostalgic for the good old days when he was livelier and something of a risk taker, he tells himself he’s “happy enough.” The humans believe Doggo’s life needs shaking up, however. Cat agrees and points out the humans have an idea in mind. That jolt comes in the form of a rascally newcomer—rambunctious, reddish-brown Pupper. Seemingly nonstop activity and downright peskiness ensue. As a result, the humans develop another idea—charm school, which changes Pupper’s personality for the better—or does it? In fact, Pupper becomes so charmed that his demeanor changes. He’s not the high-spirited, nonstop-yapping firecracker of yore and settles into “same old, same old” routines himself, leading Doggo to take matters into his own paws and devise some clever ideas to shift the dynamic. This sweet, seven-chapter early-reader series opener employs simple language, with several short sentences per page and lots of dialogue, to bring these close friends and their fun adventures to endearing life; young readers will be charmed. The colorful illustrations that combine collage and digital techniques are lively and expressive. Though human faces aren’t seen, Doggo’s owners appear to be light-skinned.
Readers will enjoy going to the dogs with this one. (tips on puppies’ personalities, habits, and care) (Chapter book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-62097-2
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
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