A fantasy series opener with captivating animal characters and cultures.
Running away from her rat enslavers, an orphaned monkey finds her place in a rabbit village in this debut children’s fantasy.
Young Mysti, a little brown monkey with an orange topknot, can’t remember anything of her life before being taken up as a baby by a gang of thieving, violent, dirty rats and forced to work for the group. Seeing a chance to escape, Mysti endures a long and exhausting journey until reaching the Reanlands, inhabited by rabbits. A she-rabbit named Feona discovers her and, taking pity on Mysti’s sorry state, brings her home. Mysti, never having been treated kindly, is at first wary and secretive, but she eventually settles into helping Feona on the farm and joining in village life, despite some rabbits’ mistrust of her. At the annual Berry Festival, where rabbits gather for trade and fun, Mysti meets the Teg, “a storyteller, a singer, a keeper of history and lore.” He explains the significance of the moonstone necklace she’s always had and how she might have a special destiny with the rabbits. When festivalgoers almost drown in rising floodwaters, Mysti’s ingenuity saves them. Later, Feona goes out on a freezing cold night and Mysti starts looking for her. Helm intends her book as the first of a series, and she certainly whets readers’ appetites for more. Though the rabbits live in a seemingly gentle world of crops, tradecraft, and markets, this is no cozy Beatrix Potter setting but a dangerous realm with a dark underside and complex history. Mysti’s special role, as yet unclear, will also intrigue readers. But the tale ends on an unsatisfying cliffhanger involving a major character, with the outcome unknown. The sprightly monochrome pictures by debut illustrator Edwards nicely convey the players’ endearing personalities.
A fantasy series opener with captivating animal characters and cultures.Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5255-9752-7
Page Count: 192
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: March 18, 2021
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
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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