A treat for proto–Percy Jackson fans.
A center for rescued pets becomes the stage for adventures of literally mythical import in this series opener.
Convinced that they’re the gods after whom they’ve been named by the Mount Olympus Pet Center’s myth-loving owner (and Boyer drops hints that they’re not wrong), Zeus, a rescued hamster, and allies Demeter, Athena, and Ares—respectively a cricket, a tabby cat, and a scene-stealing pug of big stomach but little brain—get out at night to face such challenges as the deadly whirlpool of Charybdis (a stuck toilet). After listening (not very attentively) to a podcast version of “Jason and the Argonauts,” Zeus decides to settle a long-standing rivalry with a pufferfish named Poseidon by returning in triumph with the “Golden Fleas.” Little does he know that the quest will take him into Uncharted Territory (the empty store next door) where shrieking harpies (bats) lurk….While all of this doesn’t map very closely on the original yarn, it does offer opportunities aplenty for displays of courage, cleverness, and loyalty…as well as lots of comical byplay. Elkerton adds to both the comedy and the drama with vignettes and larger scenes of partly anthropomorphic animals in chitons and divine regalia, often looking dismayed or, in Ares’ case, ever on the lookout for Mutt Nuggets. A closing section includes further information on the source story and Greek myths in general.
A treat for proto–Percy Jackson fans. (map, floor plan) (Animal fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4263-3547-1
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Under the Stars
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A cast of colorful characters and a satisfying ending will leave readers wondering whose story is next.
Kerrin, author of the Martin Bridge chapter-book series, aims for a slightly older audience in this first installment of a planned trilogy.
Set in a fictional Nova Scotia fishing village, the books will examine, through the eyes of three separate boys, how their life changes with the capture of a gargantuan lobster. Graeme Swinimer’s father catches a gigantic lobster with antennae that resemble bicycle spokes. Later that day, obnoxious classmate Norris Fowler coerces Graeme into tracking down the person responsible for stealing their teacher’s prize cactus. In return, Norris promises that his father will pay top dollar for the behemoth, which will be auctioned to the highest bidder at the town’s annual lobster festival. Eager for the prize money, Graeme, a budding marine biologist, will finally be able to visit Big Fish Aquarium. When he discovers that 30 years ago another local lobsterman captured a huge lobster, Graeme wonders if it could be the same crustacean. Kerrin's writing will appeal to those who enjoy a more thoughtful, less action-packed story. She conveys a believable plot with minimal text that's driven by spot-on dialogue. Engaged readers will relate to Graeme’s inner struggle whether to let the crustacean be mounted or "lower the trap" to set it free.
A cast of colorful characters and a satisfying ending will leave readers wondering whose story is next. (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-55453-576-7
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2012
Disappointingly bland fare, this might please enthusiastic animal lovers or parents who prefer squeaky-clean stories but...
Seemingly plucked from a middle-of–last-century bookshelf, this wholesome tale of a spunky fifth-grade girl’s experiences in rural Nevada has a paint-by-numbers feel that keeps it from living up to the author’s illustrious reputation.
Readers meet Ivy as she bikes up a hill to visit her friend Annie, stopping along the way to rescue a turtle that’s been run over. While Annie and Ivy’s relationship plays a role in the plot, Ivy’s love of animals and dreams for the future quickly become the focus. Looking for a way to earn some money, Ivy decides to offer her services as an animal sitter. While life was likely simpler in 1949, at least in some ways, the ease with which Ivy finds jobs and the local vet’s trust in her abilities (he allows her to give a wild fox an injection) will both seem a mite unlikely to contemporary readers. A pesky neighbor boy creates some unexpected problems, but overall, it’s smooth sailing with an especially happy ending (no dead dogs here). Although the tone is spot-on, with endearingly folksy dialogue and an innocent worldview, the contrived plot and limited character development will likely keep readers from caring much about Ivy.
Disappointingly bland fare, this might please enthusiastic animal lovers or parents who prefer squeaky-clean stories but will leave most other readers wishing for more. (Historical fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5352-1
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
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