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
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.
Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.
Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
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