Readers with great expectations will find them fully satisfied by this tongue-in-cheek romp through a historic public House...
“He was the best of toms. He was the worst of toms.” And for all his harsh early life and unnatural dietary preferences, ragged London alley cat Skilley gets to look at a queen, too.
Landing a gig as mouser for the chophouse and writers’ hangout Ye Olde Cheshire Cheeseis a lifelong fantasy come true for both Skilley and the inn’s swarm of resident mice—because unlike his feline rivals, Skilley adores cheese and has no taste for mice at all. In fact it isn’t long before he and Pip, a mouse of parts who has learned to read and write, have become great friends. Deedy and Wright take this premise and run with it, tucking in appearances from Dickens, Thackeray and other writers of the time. Cat and mice unite to face such challenges as the arrival of a cruel new cat named Oliver (“Well, this was an unwelcome twist”), a mysterious cheese thief and, climactically, a wise but injured old raven that is the subject of a country-wide search that culminates in a visit to the inn by Queen Victoria Herself. Moser contributes splendid black-and-white illustrations that manage to be both realistic and funny, recalling Robert Lawson while retaining his own style.
Readers with great expectations will find them fully satisfied by this tongue-in-cheek romp through a historic public House that is the very opposite of Bleak. (Animal fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-56145-595-9
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
Set in a future from which humanity has vanished, leaving only legends behind, this text-and-graphic-novel hybrid takes a chatty young chipmunk from the supposed safety of his hollow-tree home to a derelict city ruled by a komodo dragon with “ratmink” minions, and then on to an idyllic animal community perched atop a plateau ringed by poisonous fog. Along the way he gathers a trio of friends—most notably Olive, a mechanically minded bear whose flying machine provides a hair’s breadth escape from the Dragon Queen. The illustrations, done in pen with light blue highlights, depict Thelonious and associates walking erect, wearing looted human—or in Thelonious’s case—doll clothing and puzzling out the purposes of the human artifacts around them. In every other chapter, the text and pictures blend into full graphic-novel format, providing needed boosts to the tale’s generally slow pacing. That, along with occasional quirky incidents such as the appearance of a mute (at first) homunculus may be enough to draw in a few readers, but those hoping for sustained drama, suspense or humor will be disappointed. An abrupt end signals future episodes on the way; perhaps they’ll be better. (Fantasy. 10-12)
Pub Date: June 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-689-87684-X
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2006
Sixth grader Randy spots a dog tied to a tree in a sleet storm and resolves to help, but after visiting it, he realizes it's being seriously abused. Although he reports the cruelty to the police, he’s told that without proof of abuse, which he must collect, they cannot intervene. The appearance of a ghost dog determined to push Randy into saving the animal—and some encouragement from a friend—finally motivate him to rescue the dog by stealing it and hiding it away. Later, after being found out by his mother, she reluctantly becomes the dog’s official foster parent, even as they are being stalked by its violent owner. The ghost dog makes several appearances, each time presciently guiding Randy. A lecture he (bizarrely) receives in school on “evidence to look for if we think someone has a methamphetamine lab on their property,” plays a major role in the conclusion, one of several too-convenient aspects of the resolution. Readers eager for ghosts and suspense may enjoy this only-average, sometimes improbable effort. (pattern for animal-shelter cat blanket, Web resources on ghosts and animal cruelty) (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-525-42178-8
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2010
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