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Savanna's Treasure

A typical good guys/bad guys story enriched by an inspiring animal alliance.

In Behren’s first illustrated children’s book, a field mouse and a young elephant form an unlikely friendship as they seek refuge from evil poachers. 

Shamba, a friendly Serengeti field mouse, lives at an American zoologist’s campsite with his friend Panya. The two mice enjoy the American’s food and protection from the gnarly gang of poachers who entrap field mice. One day, when the mice wander offsite in search of entertainment, they return to find the camp’s been burned to the ground. In place of Sarah, their American protector, they find a black bandanna marking the recent presence of the poacher gang. Fleeing the site and losing Panya, Shamba encounters a small elephant named Kali and catches a ride on her tail to safety from the poachers. Shamba befriends Kali and her elephant family as they learn that many of the Serengeti animals now share the common goal of escaping the evil poachers. Kali’s wise grandmother Savanna devises a plan for the elephants to safely migrate, and the elephants give Shamba a ride as they embark on their great journey. Along the way, Shamba and Kali meet other animal friends, united in their evasion of the poachers. However, more danger lies ahead, and the young animals must bravely fight for their survival. Brief chapters and easy-to-follow language make this story a good fit for early readers. A few simple black-and-white illustrations highlight moments throughout the story. At times, though, Behren’s descriptions of some of the more action-packed sequences are a bit convoluted; more illustrations might facilitate a young reader’s understanding of the detailed events being described. Ultimately, the story shows how the animals’ abilities to overcome their differences and join as allies, along with the help of their human friends, aid them in their success. Some readers, however, might wonder what happens to other animals at the hands of poachers. 

A typical good guys/bad guys story enriched by an inspiring animal alliance.

Pub Date: March 31, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4363-6633-5

Page Count: 134

Publisher: Xlibris

Review Posted Online: June 18, 2014

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HOW TO CATCH A GINGERBREAD MAN

From the How To Catch… series

A brisk if bland offering for series fans, but cleverer metafictive romps abound.

The titular cookie runs off the page at a bookstore storytime, pursued by young listeners and literary characters.

Following on 13 previous How To Catch… escapades, Wallace supplies sometimes-tortured doggerel and Elkerton, a set of helter-skelter cartoon scenes. Here the insouciant narrator scampers through aisles, avoiding a series of elaborate snares set by the racially diverse young storytime audience with help from some classic figures: “Alice and her mad-hat friends, / as a gift for my unbirthday, / helped guide me through the walls of shelves— / now I’m bound to find my way.” The literary helpers don’t look like their conventional or Disney counterparts in the illustrations, but all are clearly identified by at least a broad hint or visual cue, like the unnamed “wizard” who swoops in on a broom to knock over a tower labeled “Frogwarts.” Along with playing a bit fast and loose with details (“Perhaps the boy with the magic beans / saved me with his cow…”) the author discards his original’s lip-smacking climax to have the errant snack circling back at last to his book for a comfier sort of happily-ever-after.

A brisk if bland offering for series fans, but cleverer metafictive romps abound. (Picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-7282-0935-7

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021

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THE WILD ROBOT PROTECTS

From the Wild Robot series , Vol. 3

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

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