Roman’s (The Treasure of Snake Island, 2014, etc.) latest installment in her rollicking pirate picture-book series.
The author opens her story with a vivid rendition of a parched pirate crew that’s stranded near an island without any juice boxes, rivers or ponds to drink from. Crankiness and blaming commence, with Mongo the monkey blaming Hallie, the first mate, for their plight, as she brought a thirsty goat on board who drank more than her share. Mongo and some of the others begin to ridicule the goat, making fun of her name and her unusual odor. Hallie and baby Cayla tell the goat that she’s beautiful, but this doesn’t shield the goat from hurt feelings, and a tear rolls down her furry cheek. Captain No Beard arrives and impartially asks for both sides of the story. (Poor Fribbet the frog is very upset because he doesn’t want to have to choose sides.) Captain No Beard, after offering his signature lament, that “[b]eing a captain is hard work,” climbs down the mast and instructs all of them to say one nice thing about themselves, as well as one thing they don’t like. As the crew members take turns, they begin to understand no one is perfect but that doesn’t detract from how amazing each one is. They also realize that just because someone is different it doesn’t make that individual any less special. Apologies, handshakes, paw-shakes and hoof-shakes ensue, and Roman drives home the lesson when the goat figures out a coconut-y solution to their thirst. The author doesn’t disappoint in her latest pirate tale, once again seamlessly weaving wonderful life lessons for children into a fun adventure story among friends. The illustrations are dynamic and full of emotion, leaping off the pages with their charm, humor and energy. The affection among the crew is evident, even when things get a little heated. Here, Roman’s talent shines, as she shows that friendship is an evolving relationship that ebbs and flows—and flourishes with a little bit of understanding.
Another heartwarming pirate story from Roman.
Pub Date: May 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-1492162698
Page Count: 48
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 24, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In an imaginative wordless picture book, Wiesner (illustrator of Kite Flyer, 1986) tours a dream world suggested by the books and objects in a boy's room. A series of transitions—linked by a map in the book that the boy was reading as he fell asleep—wafts him, pajama-clad, from an aerial view of hedge-bordered fields to a chessboard with chess pieces, some changing into their realistic counterparts (plus a couple of eerie roundheaded figures based on pawns that reappear throughout); next appear a castle; a mysterious wood in which lurks a huge, whimsical dragon; the interior of a neoclassical palace; and a series of fantastic landscapes that eventually transport the boy back to his own bed. Most interesting here are the visual links Wiesner uses in his journey's evolution; it's fun to trace the many details from page to page. There's a bow to Van Allsburg, and another to Sendak's In the Night Kitchen, but Wiesner's broad double-spreads of a dream world—whose muted colors suggest a silent space outside of time—have their own charm. Intriguing.
Pub Date: April 20, 1988
ISBN: 978-0-06-156741-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1988
© Copyright 2026 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.
