A warmhearted, encouraging book about the wonders of imagination.
In this illustrated book for children, a brother and sister discover a special exhibit of magical beasts.
Mary and her little brother, Tim, are excited about their school’s field trip to the zoo. For the first time since their parents died, Tim is smiling; he’s hoping to see a dragon, although a friend informs him that dragons are only giant alligators. But alligators are interesting too, and Mary promises her sibling that he’ll see some. Then they find that the alligator tank is closed for repairs. Tim cries, but just then, a tall, strangely dressed man appears and introduces himself as Zitthoona, a magus and Keeper of the Phantastic Zoo. “Would you like to see a Dragon, Tim?” he asks. Playing his flute, the Keeper leads the kids through a hidden entrance. Giant plants, music, colors, and mysterious sensations surround them as they meet first a phoenix, then a mermaid, and then—most thrilling of all—an actual dragon. Each creature has a story to tell and a message for the kids about music, imagination, and protecting the environment. Back at home with their aunt Peggy, the children find a tree that becomes their special place to listen to “music magic.” The text urges readers to email the author for a coupon to download an accompanying digital audio album. Kaufman (The Adventures of Squiggle T. Buglet in the Musical Forest, 2014, etc.) gives children a fantastical experience with his collection of magical creatures who live in a place that’s more like a hotel than a zoo, the Keeper explains. The author presents it all in heightened language that helps build a sense of awe: “The air turned hot and cold as you walked…and in the darkness you could sense ancient powers…and things it was impossible for Mary and Tim to put words to.” The siblings’ affection for each other is sweetly depicted, as well. Kaufman’s faux naïve illustrations have the colorful, flat feeling of pale Matisse paintings, emphasizing the narrative’s air of strange adventure. However, the book’s punctuation becomes distracting with its many ellipses and exclamation points, random capitalization, and sometimes-missing commas.
A warmhearted, encouraging book about the wonders of imagination.Pub Date: April 18, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9862098-4-0
Page Count: 74
Publisher: Three Dashes Publications
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
What if the market was closed when you wanted to bake a pie? You could embark for Europe, learn Italian en route, and pick up some semolina wheat in Italy, an egg in France, kurundu bark for cinnamon in Sri Lanka, and an entire cow in England (butter) before coming home via Jamaica (sugar) and Vermont (apples). The expertly designed illustrations in which a dark-haired lass journeys by various means to these interesting places to get her groceries are lovely and lively, and the narrative, too, travels at a spritely pace. The journey is neither quite logical enough to be truly informative nor quite bizarre enough to be satisfyingly silly, while the rich, sweet recipe that's appended will take some adult assistance. Still, fun. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: May 2, 1994
ISBN: 0-679-83705-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1994
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
© Copyright 2024 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.
bookshelf
