The setup for Volume 3 at the close means more medieval mischief on the way; cue further chortles.
A young king can’t stand by when a monster terrorizes a neighboring country…but adventures can be dangerous.
King Edwin Flashypants is just 9, so he still administers his country, Edwinland, with the help of Minister Jill (who has some less-than-yummy ideas about vegetables) and Megan the Jester (who shares Edwin’s love of candy). When a hermit named Baxter comes running into the village (seemingly wearing only a beard), Edwin learns the many-eyed Voolith is attacking the people of Crong, which is situated north of neighboring Nurbisonia. Something must be done! Meanwhile, the wicked Emperor Nurbison of Nurbisonia is enjoying the influx of new subjects fleeing the Voolith. Nurbison hatches the kind of dastardly, evil plan he’s famous for (in his own mind, at least) to rid himself of Edwin and gain control of everything. Can the many candy shops of Edwinland be preserved? Riley’s second King Flashypants tale of folderol and foolishness is as much fun as the first (think Monty Python and the Holy Grail for 7-year-olds), with a bit of poo-humor thrown in for giggles. The author’s cartoon illustrations combine with occasional trickery of typesetting to hit the right mix of deadpan and slapstick. Minister Jill and Baxter appear to have dark skin, while the rest of the primary characters are pale; background characters are diverse.
The setup for Volume 3 at the close means more medieval mischief on the way; cue further chortles. (Humor. 7-10)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-62779-811-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A rousing introduction to the life of a voyageur told from a unique perspective.
Stowing away with French Canadian fur traders in 1792, a loquacious red squirrel embarks on a life-changing adventure.
Each spring, Jean Pierre Petit Le Rouge, a squirrel with wanderlust, watches brave, strong voyageurs depart in canoes from Montreal and return the following autumn. Determined to be a voyageur, Le Rouge hides in a canoe paddled by eight stout voyageurs, part of a brigade of five. Soon his incessant chattering distracts the voyageurs, who become separated from the rest of the brigade, but, after ascending the highest tree, he points the crew back on course. More than once, pesky Le Rouge barely escapes becoming squirrel ragout. He’s just beginning to feel like a real voyageur when they reach the trading post on Lake Superior, where he discovers the voyageurs exchanging their cargo for animal skins to return to Montreal. Heartsick, Le Rouge decides he cannot be a voyageur if it involves trading animal skins, unless he can change things. Le Rouge relates his story with drama and flair, presenting a colorful prism through which to view the daily life of a voyageur. Peppered with historical facts and (italicized) French phrases and names, this exciting, well-documented tale (with a contemporary animal-rights subtext) proves educational and entertaining. Realistic pencil drawings highlight Le Rouge’s memorable journey.
A rousing introduction to the life of a voyageur told from a unique perspective. (map, pronunciation guide, historical and biological notes, recipe, further reading) (Historical fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: March 24, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4247-8
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
Although no one will doubt the eventual outcome, since Sammy is way too cute to fail, this amusing tale will serve well as...
Sammy, a clever pet mouse, lives a contented life until his owner’s brother kidnaps him to serve as pilot for a remote-controlled plane. Then his adventures begin.
The plane gets away from the boy and crashes into distant woods, where Sammy encounters a community of mice, including a helpful young female, Phoebe. After his damaged plane—his only means to get back home—goes missing, he sets out to find Goggles, a raccoon rumored to have great ideas but who can only be reached after a long journey. Along the way, Sammy’s joined by a crow that can’t fly, a newt, a shrew, and finally, Phoebe. Their quest is threatened by an evil weasel and his wily band of rats. Characters are only thinly developed, and the story is just mildly suspenseful. It is so brief (despite page count) the potential dangers simply don’t get expanded upon enough to feel truly threatening. But the illustrations lift this effort above the pack. Cole’s soft, delicately shaded black-and-white artwork appears on nearly every spread, with numerous double-page spreads. The realistic woodland scenes populated with slightly anthropomorphized creatures beg for closer study.
Although no one will doubt the eventual outcome, since Sammy is way too cute to fail, this amusing tale will serve well as an early chapter book or read-aloud. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-56145-866-0
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
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