Although the tone is decidedly different from her earlier work, Voigt’s writing remains masterful, and her attention...
A group of toys lives together on an island, ironing out their differences and sharing small adventures.
At the center is Teddy, a thoughtful bear who is somewhat the worse for wear (he lacks legs). He’s cared for by Umpah, an elephant who loves to bake. Their neighbors include Zia and Prinny, an apparently unrelated pair of pigs who nevertheless enjoy a warm mother-daughter relationship, Sid, an always-hungry but not-the-least-bit-threatening snake, and Peng, a standoffish wooden penguin. Newcomers who shake things up a bit are Mr. B., a stuffed rabbit who thinks of himself as “sleek and selfish and sharp” despite his cuddly appearance, and Clara, a grandly dressed, large white doll whose imperious demands create consternation. Together they explore their environment, master some useful skills, figure out how to live democratically, and eat a lot of muffins. Occasionally old-fashioned language (“Oh dear, oh dearie me” is Zia’s repeated refrain), a leisurely pace, and limited action suggest that this may be most successful as a read-aloud. The illustrations (most not seen) will likely help connect readers to the characters.
Although the tone is decidedly different from her earlier work, Voigt’s writing remains masterful, and her attention continues to be on what makes a family, how we can live together in harmony, and how individuals overcome their difficulties . (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-553-51160-4
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2016
A feel-good tale of a clever and determined stallion set against a well-developed landscape.
In mid-19th-century Nevada, a colt named Sky grows up to lead his band of wild horses.
Parry’s moving story follows the pattern of her recent animal tales, A Wolf Called Wander (2019) and A Whale of the Wild (2020), chronicling a wild animal’s life in the first person, imagining its point of view, and detailing and appreciating the natural world it inhabits. As Sky grows from wobbly newborn to leader of his family, he faces more than the usual challenges for colts who must fight their stallions or leave their herds when they are grown up. Fagan’s appealing black-and-white illustrations help readers envision this survival story. Sky’s adventures include forced service with the Pony Express; being befriended by an enslaved Paiute boy; escaping to find his now-captured band; and helping them escape the silver miners who’d destroyed their world. Animal lovers will applaud his ingenuity and stubbornness. Although Sky’s band has suffered serious injuries (his mother is blind), he and Storm, a mare who was his childhood companion, lead them toward safety in a new wilderness. The writer’s admiration for these wild horses and her concerns about human destruction of their environment come through even more clearly in a series of concluding expository essays discussing the wild horses, the Indigenous Americans, the natural history of the Great Basin, silver mining, and the Pony Express.
A feel-good tale of a clever and determined stallion set against a well-developed landscape. (author’s note, resources) (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9780062995957
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode.
A long-running series reaches its closing chapters.
Having, as Kline notes in her warm valedictory acknowledgements, taken 30 years to get through second and third grade, Harry Spooger is overdue to move on—but not just into fourth grade, it turns out, as his family is moving to another town as soon as the school year ends. The news leaves his best friend, narrator “Dougo,” devastated…particularly as Harry doesn’t seem all that fussed about it. With series fans in mind, the author takes Harry through a sort of last-day-of-school farewell tour. From his desk he pulls a burned hot dog and other items that featured in past episodes, says goodbye to Song Lee and other classmates, and even (for the first time ever) leads Doug and readers into his house and memento-strewn room for further reminiscing. Of course, Harry isn’t as blasé about the move as he pretends, and eyes aren’t exactly dry when he departs. But hardly is he out of sight before Doug is meeting Mohammad, a new neighbor from Syria who (along with further diversifying a cast that began as mostly white but has become increasingly multiethnic over the years) will also be starting fourth grade at summer’s end, and planning a written account of his “horrible” buddy’s exploits. Finished illustrations not seen.
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Nov. 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-451-47963-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
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