Parents hoping to take their kids on fishing trips will find some fun, rhyming encouragement here.
A clever fish narrates this playful, picture-book ode to the “game” of fishing.
Walter the Wily Walleye lives in a lake, “waiting for you to catch me, a game I play called fishing.” He describes his own talents—including his great night vision, which helps him catch minnows—as well as offering readers advice on how to fish. Although Walter acknowledges that he loves to hide from anyone who’s fishing, he prefers it when children try to catch him, because he likes their laughter. Debut author Allen’s smoothly rhyming prose plays with the idea of schools of fish being places of learning where pupils are taught not to take food from strangers; however, this contradicts Walter’s request for children to bring him minnows or worms. The rhymes also introduce new vocabulary words for emerging readers (“elusive,” “wily”). Alberts creates images of realistic-looking fish with human characteristics; in one dynamic image, Walter grabs onto a child’s line with his fin, tricking the boy into thinking Walter is hooked. Pale-skinned, mostly male human anglers appear, and some of the fish feature overdone lipstick and eyeshadow as gender indicators. Allen also delicately avoids revealing what would happen to Walter if he were actually hooked.
Parents hoping to take their kids on fishing trips will find some fun, rhyming encouragement here.Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-692-10292-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Fishing Quest Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An eminently satisfying story of family, recovery, and growing into manhood.
In this prequel to Newbery Award–winning The Crossover (2014), Alexander revisits previous themes and formats while exploring new ones.
For Charlie Bell, the future father of The Crossover’s Jordan and Josh, his father’s death alters his relationship with his mother and causes him to avoid what reminds him of his dad. At first, he’s just withdrawn, but after he steals from a neighbor, his mother packs a reluctant Charlie off to his grandparents near Washington, D.C., for the summer. His grandfather works part-time at a Boys and Girls Club where his cousin Roxie is a star basketball player. Despite his protests, she draws him into the game. His time with his grandparents deepens Charlie’s understanding of his father, and he begins to heal. “I feel / a little more normal, / like maybe he’s still here, / … in a / as long as I remember him / he’s still right here / in my heart / kind of way.” Once again, Alexander has given readers an African-American protagonist to cheer. He is surrounded by a strong supporting cast, especially two brilliant female characters, his friend CJ and his cousin Roxie, as well as his feisty and wise granddaddy. Music and cultural references from the late 1980s add authenticity. The novel in verse is enhanced by Anyabwile’s art, which reinforces Charlie’s love for comics.
An eminently satisfying story of family, recovery, and growing into manhood. (Historical verse fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: April 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-86813-7
Page Count: 416
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
SEEN & HEARD
A charming series opener.
A foundling mouse sets out to uncover the mystery of her origins and of the magical needle sized for humans that was left with her.
Delphine’s travels begin with a summons to the palace, where her growing reputation as a brilliant seamstress commands an order for a ball gown for Princess Petits-Oiseaux—and also gives her a chance to discover exciting hints about a vanished order of needle-wielding magic mice known as the Threaded and of an ancient war with the rats. Meanwhile, no sooner does Midnight, cruel king of the rats, learn that the needle they have been seeking for a century has been found than said old war suddenly heats up and turns into a deadly chase. Also meanwhile, only barely noticed by the animal cast but sure to snag readers’ attention, certain events involving another seamstress, a pumpkin coach, a ball, a prince, and a glass slipper are happening above the floorboards in the parallel human world. That isn’t the only sly touch in this bibbidi bobbidi debut, which is rich in clearly delineated character types, features plenty of brisk action, and is also, overall, more than a bit reminiscent in tone and setting to Brian Jacques’ Redwall series (though with more focus on fashion than food). While this volume is mostly setup, heroes and villains alike end up on their marks, and plenty of loose ends remain to stitch up later.
A charming series opener. (Animal fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-368-04802-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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