A happy go lucky young lutenist finds what he fancies is a dragon’s tooth, and instantly gains an unwanted reputation as a mighty warrior in this none too serious mini-epic. Hailed by the villagers of Batty-By-Noodle and dressed in a suit of armor lovingly crafted by his mother, the local blacksmith, Digory reluctantly sets out to do what knights are supposed to do: rescue damsels and slay dragons. Fortunately, dragons turn out to be easily avoidable. Unfortunately, damsels in distress are all over the map—every one unpleasantly bossy and conceited. Fortunately, Digory’s quest comes to an end when he meets mussy, krumhorn-playing Princess Enid and her kindly, if seriously dysnomic, father King Widget. Unfortunately, they have this dragon problem . . . but, fortunately, Digory’s deaf old steed Barley shows unexpected facility with a magic sword that drops from the sky, and all ends happily. Beck’s rumpled drawings and vignettes add more amiably comic touches. Ready cheeks; insert tongues. (Fantasy. 9-11)
Pub Date: June 1, 2006
ISBN: 1-58234-722-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2006
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Layton’s zany alien family comes to Earth in search of humans, but with only guidebook descriptions of what people look like, it’s easy to make mistakes—especially when their flying saucer lands at the zoo! “They don’t have tails and they mostly stand on two feet,” reads the father, effectively ruling out kangaroos and tigers as potential people. The smallest alien is anxious to snap a picture of penguins, but it turns out they aren’t human—people don’t have wings. After searching the “entire planet” (that is, within the confines of the zoo walls), the aliens finally do find a creature to match their guidebook’s description perfectly, and to make Darwin smile. The goofy illustrations deploy a childlike sense of fun; the aliens are pleasant creatures with round patchwork bodies and eyes on stalks, and the gregarious zoo animals will ring true for the animal cracker set. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8037-2381-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Swinburne sets out to teach young children about how shadows are created, describing night as a shadow on the earth, and giving children tangible reasons for why shadows vary in size, shape, and location. The latter half of the book invites readers to guess the origins of the shadows in vivid full-color photographs; subsequent pages provide the answers to the mysteries. A foreword contains information regarding the scientific reasons for shadows, which can be explained to small children, but it is the array of photographs that truly invites youngsters to take a closer look and analyze the world around them with an eye for the details. (Picture book/nonfiction. 3-5).
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-56397-724-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
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