A must for those seeking culturally diverse literary experiences.
Baguette knows he can travel in time, but can he save the nine lives of all of catkind?
Ginger cat Baguette lives on the 12th floor with the Petrov family. Not long ago he traveled in time to rescue Polina from the Land of Good Girls. He is in love with stray cat Purriana, but in order to marry her, Baguette must complete a “lover’s feat.” Purriana takes him to see her great-great-grandmother, who is an oracle and a member of the Council of Six, the mystical ruling body of all cats. Great-great-grandmother tells Baguette of Catlantis, where ancient cats lived in paradise thanks to the god Pussiedon. Baguette must use the time-travel magic all pure ginger cats have to go back and retrieve a Catlantic flower and bestow nine lives on all modern cats—many cat powers having been lost in the cat-aclysms and cat-astrophy that destroyed Catlantis. Purriana has another suitor, black-magic–using Noir, who, like his black-furred progenitors, wants all the cat powers for himself. Journalist Starobinets, mostly known in Russia as a writer of horror and dystopian fiction for adults, has been compared to Philip K. Dick, Stephen King, and her countryman Gogol. Her first title for youngsters translated into English is a trippy, silly tale of cat magic, folklore, and love. (It is also a companion to an earlier book about Polina, a fact that may momentarily disorient readers.) Bugaeva’s punny translation will make this a fine read-aloud.
A must for those seeking culturally diverse literary experiences. (Fantasy. 7-12)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-68137-000-2
Page Count: 136
Publisher: New York Review Books
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new...
How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage.
Living in a "domain" of glass, metal and cement at the Big Top Mall, Ivan sometimes forgets whether to act like a gorilla or a human—except Ivan does not think much of humans. He describes their behavior as frantic, whereas he is a peaceful artist. Fittingly, Ivan narrates his tale in short, image-rich sentences and acute, sometimes humorous, observations that are all the more heartbreaking for their simple delivery. His sorrow is palpable, but he stoically endures the cruelty of humans until Ruby the baby elephant is abused. In a pivotal scene, Ivan finally admits his domain is a cage, and rather than let Ruby live and die in grim circumstances, he promises to save her. In order to express his plea in a painting, Ivan must bravely face buried memories of the lush jungle, his family and their brutal murder, which is recounted in a brief, powerful chapter sure to arouse readers’ passions. In a compelling ending, the more challenging question Applegate poses is whether or not Ivan will remember what it was like to be a gorilla. Spot art captures poignant moments throughout.
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new generation of advocates. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-199225-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face.
Four misunderstood villains endeavor to turn over a new leaf…or a new rap sheet in Blabey's frenzied romp.
As readers open the first page of this early chapter book, Mr. Wolf is right there to greet them, bemoaning his reputation. "Just because I've got BIG POINTY TEETH and RAZOR-SHARP CLAWS and I occasionally like to dress up like an OLD LADY, that doesn't mean… / … I'm a BAD GUY." To prove this very fact, Mr. Wolf enlists three equally slandered friends into the Good Guys Club: Mr. Snake (aka the Chicken Swallower), Mr. Piranha (aka the Butt Biter), and Mr. Shark (aka Jaws). After some convincing from Mr. Wolf, the foursome sets off determined to un-smirch their names (and reluctantly curbing their appetites). Although these predators find that not everyone is ready to be at the receiving end of their helpful efforts, they use all their Bad Guy know-how to manage a few hilarious good deeds. Blabey has hit the proverbial nail on the head, kissed it full on the mouth, and handed it a stick of Acme dynamite. With illustrations that startle in their manic comedy and deadpan direct address and with a narrative that follows four endearingly sardonic characters trying to push past (sometimes successfully) their fear-causing natures, this book instantly joins the classic ranks of Captain Underpants and The Stinky Cheese Man.
We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face. (Fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-91240-2
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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