A satisfying end to an entertaining series.
Yorinks and Ruzzier’s ant, fly, and flea—with the help of a moth—successfully escape Jim’s Flea Circus.
In this third and final installment of the life of One Mean Ant, the disgruntled ant is stuck performing circus acts with his friends, the fly and the flea (introduced in the second volume, One Mean Ant With Fly and Flea, 2020). Their “death-defying” acts, performed for audiences anemic in size, have them feeling like prisoners. But the ant devises an escape plan, one that incorporates the dimwitted moth who performs in another of Jim’s acts. In a nail-biting escape, they break free—and even keep an eye out for one another in the process: “They were friends, after all.” The author seamlessly and succinctly summarizes the plot of the first two books, so that any reader meeting these characters anew will not be confused. The characters’ dialogue is lively, the humor in their arguments stemming from their overriding personality traits—the choleric ant; the peacemaking but rather dense fly; the frustrated flea; and the addled moth—with the ant getting so frustrated that he repeatedly bangs his head on the floor. There is much humor in Ruzzier’s depictions of these googly-eyed characters, particularly in the ant’s furrowed brows and the moth’s constant state of bewilderment. Their determination to save one another in the end is made all the more poignant by the book’s lack of sentimentality. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A satisfying end to an entertaining series. (Picture book. 4-10)Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7636-8396-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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