Unsubtle fun for young mystery lovers.
Shenanigans ensue when a little girl lets loose some very magical and mischievous figurines.
Lottie Lipton is a white 9-year-old orphan who lives with her great-uncle Bert in a tiny apartment in the British Museum. When the museum receives a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus, Lottie helps her uncle, who works at the museum, unpack its contents. Inside, Lottie finds several little dolls. Uncle Bert explains that these are actually shabtis, small statues buried with wealthy ancient Egyptians, who believed the shabtis would come to life to do the deceased’s chores in the afterlife. Bert dismisses this as “poppycock,” but when Lottie recites the spell carved on one of the shabtis, the figures come to life and wreak havoc all over the museum. Armed with her trusty notebook, Lottie, assisted by Uncle Bert and Reg, the museum’s cockney-accented caretaker (his haitches drop inconsistently, however), must get them under control before some very rich museum donors arrive. The cartoonish black-and-white drawings show the impish shabtis in motion as they jump, wave their arms, and blow raspberries, thwarting Lottie’s every attempt to catch them. Metafictive elements include puzzles and riddles for readers to solve in order to “help” Lottie along the way. Backmatter includes additional puzzles, a glossary, facts about shabtis, and “notebook” pages. Companion titles The Scroll of Alexandria and The Secrets of the Stone publish simultaneously.
Unsubtle fun for young mystery lovers. (Fantasy. 6-9)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5124-8188-4
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Darby Creek
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2017
Multiple taps transform a giggling block of wood in Geppetto’s workshop into a skinny, loose jointed puppet that suddenly...
Unusually brisk special effects animate this relatively less satiric but equally amusing adaptation of the classic tale.
Multiple taps transform a giggling block of wood in Geppetto’s workshop into a skinny, loose jointed puppet that suddenly delivers a Bronx cheer and then whirls away on a long series of misadventures. These culminate in a final change into a flesh-and-blood boy with help from a fingertip “paintbrush.” Quick and responsive touch- or tilt-activated features range from controllable marionettes, Pinocchio’s tattletale nose and Fire-Eater’s explosive sneeze to a movable candle that illuminates both Geppetto in the fish’s dark belly and the accompanying block of text. Even the thumbnail page images of the index (which opens any time with a shake of the tablet) tumble about, somehow without falling out of order. Though transitions are almost nonexistent in the episodic plot, the text is both substantial enough to have a definite presence and artfully placed in and around Conversi’s brightly colored settings and toylike figures. Text is available in English or Italian with a clear, understated optional audio narration backed by unobtrusive music. A link on the credits page leads to downloadable coloring sheets on the producer’s website.Pub Date: March 17, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Elastico srl
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A story of friendship that is both lively and lovely
Two friends embark upon a high-seas adventure.
Kondo, a large lemon-colored creature with wide round eyes, spends his day on his island home with his best friend, tangerine-hued Kezumi. Together, they frolic on their idyllic isle picking berries (tall Kondo nabs the higher fruit while Kezumi helps to retrieve the lower) while surrounded by tiny “flitter-birds” and round “fluffle-bunnies.” One day, Kezumi finds a map in a bottle that declares “WE ARE NOT ALONE.” Inspired by visions of a larger world, Kondo and Kezumi fashion a boat from a bathtub and set sail. The pair visits fantastical islands—deliciously cheese-laden Dairy Isle, the fiery and fearsome Fireskull Island—until they eventually settle upon the titular Giant Island, where they meet Albert, a gigantic gray talking mountain who is—obviously—unable to leave. Enthralled by his new friends, Albert wants them to stay forever. After Albert makes a fraught decision, Kondo and Kezumi find themselves at a crossroads and must confront their new friend. Goodner and Tsurumi’s brightly illustrated chapter book should find favor with fans of Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen’s similarly designed Mercy Watson series. Short, wry, descriptive sentences make for an equally enjoyable experience whether read aloud or independently. Episodic chapters move the action along jauntily; the conclusion is somewhat abrupt, but it promises more exploration and adventures for the best friends. (This review was originally published in the June 1, 2019, issue. The book data has been updated to reflect changes in publisher and date of publication.)
A story of friendship that is both lively and lovely (Fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-368-02577-5
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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