Young superhero wannabes will be shouting “Wonk ’em!” in no time.
Saving the planet’s easy when your rivals are only powered by imagination. Can these heroes handle a real nemesis?
Bucky and Stu, becaped buddies who are sworn “protectors of their hometown, their planet and their favorite TV show,” patrol the backyard, besting BoxMan (a stack of boxes decorated to look like a nasty robot) and TrashMan (old rubber trashcans with mops for eye stalks) and Hose-Nose (an old vacuum cleaner with added eyes) before Stu’s stomach interrupts their play. After a sizable lunch (for Stu at least), Bucky shows Stu a robot he and his uncle Ernie have been working on. Mikanikal Man needs only a power supply to function. With a storm approaching, the boys head inside, planning to find a power pack on the morrow. When Mother Nature spectacularly gives Mikanikal Man life, can our heroes best him? Not until hunger overtakes their foe, when the boys find scary monsters can be super friends (if properly fed). Van Wright follows up When an Alien Meets a Swamp Monster (2014) with another action-packed romp powered by imagination and the boundless energy of boys at play. The watercolor-and-pencil illustrations mimic comics in places, and the mix of fonts conveys the emotions of the boys and their tone of speech as much as their expressive faces do.
Young superhero wannabes will be shouting “Wonk ’em!” in no time. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-399-16427-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, if oft-told, story.
A plush toy rabbit bonds with a boy and watches him grow into adulthood.
The boy receives the blue bunny for his birthday and immediately becomes attached to it. Unbeknownst to him, the ungendered bunny is sentient; it engages in dialogue with fellow toys, giving readers insight into its thoughts. The bunny's goal is to have grand adventures when the boy grows up and no longer needs its company. The boy spends many years playing imaginatively with the bunny, holding it close during both joyous and sorrowful times and taking it along on family trips. As a young man, he marries, starts a family, and hands over the beloved toy to his toddler-aged child in a crib. The bunny's epiphany—that he does not need to wait for great adventures since all his dreams have already come true in the boy's company—is explicitly stated in the lengthy text, which is in many ways similar to The Velveteen Rabbit (1922). The illustrations, which look hand-painted but were digitally created, are moderately sentimental with an impressionistic dreaminess (one illustration even includes a bunny-shaped cloud in the sky) and a warm glow throughout. The depiction of a teenage male openly displaying his emotions—hugging his beloved childhood toy for example—is refreshing. All human characters present as White expect for one of the boy’s friends who is Black.
A sweet, if oft-told, story. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72825-448-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
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