"Diary of a Wimpy Cat" or maybe "Lynda Barry's Cat Goes Hollywood," it’s decent enough fare for graduates of Bad Kitty but...
Mr. Puffball longs to be a star. Will Hollywood welcome him?
Mr. Puffball thinks that El Gato, star of the movie Cow-Cats & Aliens, is the greatest movie star ever. He is determined to be just like his idol, and when he discovers star power is in his genes (his great-grandmother starred in Cleocatra Meets the Mummy) and there are open auditions for The Great Catsby, he decides to head for Hollywood. Several interesting stops later (Roswell and “Hobowood” among them), Mr. Puffball lands in Tinsel Town ready for his audition at Metro Golden Meower. Unfortunately, he's years too late (the audition announcement was from an old newspaper). The oldsters at MGM point him toward Purramount. After some training, he lands a gig...as a stunt cat for El Gato. Mr. Puffball learns the dangers of meeting a hero, but purrhaps with the right cattitude, he'll earn his Hollywood ending. Lombardo's debut, a series opener, is replete with multipanel comics and other illustrations that advance Mr. Puffball's tale. Unfortunately a fair amount of the fun relies on punning riffs on old Hollywood. There are explanations in the aftermatter, but if you have to explain a joke....
"Diary of a Wimpy Cat" or maybe "Lynda Barry's Cat Goes Hollywood," it’s decent enough fare for graduates of Bad Kitty but not nearly as funny or inventive. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 7-10)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-232065-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 11, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale.
After a tsunami devastates their habitat in the Salish Sea, a young orca and her brother embark on a remarkable adventure.
Vega’s matriarchal family expects her to become a hunter and wayfinder, with her younger brother, Deneb, protecting and supporting her. Invited to guide her family to their Gathering Place to hunt salmon, Vega’s underwater miscalculations endanger them all, and an embarrassed Vega questions whether she should be a wayfinder. When the baby sister she hoped would become her life companion is stillborn, a distraught Vega carries the baby away to a special resting place, shocking her grieving family. Dispatched to find his missing sister, Deneb locates Vega in the midst of a terrible tsunami. To escape the waters polluted by shattered boats, Vega leads Deneb into unfamiliar open sea. Alone and hungry, the young siblings encounter a spectacular giant whale and travel briefly with shark-hunting orcas. Trusting her instincts and gaining emotional strength from contemplating the vastness of the sky, Vega knows she must lead her brother home and help save her surviving family. In alternating first-person voices, Vega and Deneb tell their harrowing story, engaging young readers while educating them about the marine ecosystem. Realistic black-and-white illustrations enhance the maritime setting.
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale. (maps, wildlife facts, tribes of the Salish Sea watershed, environmental and geographical information, how to help orcas, author’s note, artist’s note, resources) (Animal fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-299592-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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