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: Indie
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
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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