Parochial, but undeniably illuminating.
With the aid of a special flashlight, an Oxford don’s daughter spots dozens of creatures of legend and folklore on a world tour.
Happily, readers can do the same with the removable thumb light encased in the cover. Millie’s ever oblivious dad delivers quick lectures on the facts behind the Loch Ness Monster, Pegasus, Japanese yokai, “sewer gators” in New York City, Uzbekistani griffins, and more. Meanwhile, young Millie tags along, offering less skeptical observations while revealing with her magic light a world teeming with diaphanous wonders. The gimmick works unusually well; even under close examination the various creatures hidden in Ngai’s expansive landscapes and bustling urban scenes are invisible until the ambient lighting is dimmed and the blue minilight switched on. Better yet, even after the tour ends amid Oxford’s book- (and goblin-) laden shelves, a page turn reveals 18 more sprites and wights to find in a second go-round. The Eurocentric itinerary loops quickly through Asia, Oceania, and the Americas while leaving India and Africa out entirely. Religions both ancient and current are treated as myth—the Rainbow Serpent of Aborigine tradition is dismissed as a legend, for instance. Aside from one brown-skinned librarian, every human in sight is either White, concealed beneath umbrellas or big sunglasses, or turned away. Still, the size and diverse character of the supernatural cast give this a leg (claw, tentacle) up on most monster-hunting guides. The light’s button battery is replaceable.
Parochial, but undeniably illuminating. (Informational novelty. 7-11)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4839-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Magic Cat
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
Joyful and funny.
Three friends fight an evil developer who wants to tear down the magical library.
What should this trio of friends do during summer vacation? Outdoorsy Kit, a White girl, despairs of her friends, Alita and Josh, both kids of color, she really does. Why do they want to read when they could go to the cemetery and get muddy instead? But in the library, Kit discovers an ability: When she touches certain books, she travels to a magical place. Faith, the Black head librarian, her hair in locs, explains with some surprise that Kit is a wizard. It’s a puzzler, Faith tells her, because wizardry doesn’t typically show up until someone turns 18, and Kit is only 10. Faith wants Kit to keep her wizardry a secret, but good luck keeping the knowledge from Alita and Josh, who eavesdrop. So the friends tag along while Kit learns magic (a significant component of which seems to be librarianship), gains a wizard cloak, and befriends Dogon, the half-dog, half-dragon who lives in the magical library forest. With Josh’s and Alita’s attention to detail and Kit’s natural magic, maybe they’ll be able to defeat Mr. Salt, the pink-faced CEO who plans to tear down the library—if impulsive Kit learns to channel her inner chaos and trust her friends. Playful illustrations complement the witty dialogue, dryly ironic narrative voice, and comical villainy.
Joyful and funny. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1493-2
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Walker US/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
Nothing imaginary about the fun (and sneaky learning).
Lake monster lonely? Leprechaun sniffly? Only Dr. Woo, Veterinarian for Imaginary Creatures, can help.
Ten-year-old Pearl Petal, one of the few kids remaining in Buttonville after the button factory’s closure, has a reputation as a troublemaker. She’s just curious, creative...and bored, so she’s glad to have a new friend in Ben Silverstein and an apprenticeship at Dr. Woo’s clinic, which everyone in town thinks is a worm hospital. After successfully ditching nosy Mrs. Mulberry, who wants her awful daughter Victoria to apprentice too (just so they can nose around inside), Pearl and Ben start their first day of apprenticing by clipping the toenails of a Sasquatch. Things get more complicated fast. Pearl’s curiosity gets the better of her, and Ben ends up the prisoner of a gigantic (and thankfully gentle) lake monster. Can Pearl save him without alerting Dr. Woo and her snooty assistant, the odd Mr. Tabby? Selfors’ second is Pearl’s tale (the first was Ben’s), and this adds depth to both the characters and setting of this fun and slightly suspenseful series that has more hijinks than horror. Santat’s occasional black-and-white illustrations are an added bonus, as are the creature info with writing and art prompts, the science lesson on buoyancy and the mirror-making instructions in the backmatter. Readers could start here, but they should start with the first to get the whole story.
Nothing imaginary about the fun (and sneaky learning). (Fantasy. 7-11)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-316-22567-0
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2013
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
