Weathering this storm should leave readers on cloud nine.
In their sixth adventure, Phoebe and her best pal, Marigold the unicorn, must determine the cause of a magical storm.
With a big heart and a smattering of freckles, plucky Phoebe returns with her BFF Marigold, a white unicorn with a flowing mane and a healthy dose of narcissism. When an ice storm hits their town, Marigold suspects that the storm may not be natural. The pair, aided by bespectacled Max and longtime frenemy Dakota, must venture out to find a mysterious dragon that may hold the answers. As the series progresses, Simpson’s volumes have become more substantial, with a greater emphasis on narrative development than reliance on jokes. This volume is one of her strongest, adding new dimensions to her ever expanding universe and paving the way for more entertaining shenanigans ahead. Throughout the series the artwork never falters, and it has sustained its vibrancy with clean lines and expressive facial details. However, those seeking diversity within the panels may be torn: Max has two moms, but the entire cast is predominantly white. After the adventure ends, young unicorn aficionados need not despair; Simpson includes bonus materials with ideas for tasty drinks, experiments, and information about electricity.
Weathering this storm should leave readers on cloud nine. (glossary, appendices) (Graphic fantasy. 6-11)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4494-8359-3
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
Adventurous and exciting—and warm and fuzzy, too.
A robot-building genius named Zoe discovers that making friends is worth the risk of disappointment.
Zoe, a black girl with puffy hair and no tolerance for dresses, is a natural at building complex robots, but she has a hard time making friends. Once, a classmate coaxed her away from her robot to play outside. But Zoe overheard her telling others that they weren’t really friends, and Zoe has avoided peers and shunned the idea of companionship ever since. She is a fan of kaiju—monster movies—and no one knows that she spends her spare time in an abandoned amusement park building a giant robot from spare ride parts. One day, she finds a ring and puts it on, and later that day, a monster from her kaiju movies appears outside her house. Chomp becomes her friend, but his friends and family come after him, and Zoe must find a way to save the city from the horde of building-eating monsters. When she finally turns to her teachers and classmates at her Advanced School of Technology, she discovers that getting help and being friends may not be so bad. The illustrations are endearing, Eliopoulos taking advantage of the graphic-novel format for appropriately cinematic double takes and exaggeratedly funny reactions, and the story will keep readers giggling, gasping, and turning pages all the way to the thoroughly delightful end.
Adventurous and exciting—and warm and fuzzy, too. (Graphic fantasy. 6-11)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7352-3124-5
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
Skip this meal.
Four foodstuff friends help a student stave off ill effects from a brushed-aside breakfast.
Snacks are absolutely not allowed in Mrs. Sternbladder’s classroom at the James H. Pinchkid Elementary School. When the four taco-ingredient Hunger Heroes—Tammy the tomato, Leonard the cheese, Mr. Toots the bean, and Chip Ninja the tortilla chip—get an alert about a student’s missed meal and his flagging energy before a big test, they immediately take to their taco hovercraft to save the day. This job won’t be easy: An autonomous vacuum, a gym full of dodgeballs, and a snack-loathing teacher all stand in their way. The first in a proposed series, this graphic hybrid is bland as white bread. All the elements are seemingly there: cute, cartoony characters, silly jokes galore, and zippily paced chapters. Unfortunately, the whole never quite equals the sum of its parts. The characterizations are thin, the resolution is quick and questionable, and many scenes feel like dreaded heavy-handed teachable moments having all the allure of a brownie made from brussels sprouts. There is little connection for its readers, who most likely will wonder why they should care about a kid (hardly more than a name and a face) who missed breakfast and why taco ingredients care so much. Humans portrayed throughout show a range of skin tones; however, there is little differentiation between adult and juvenile characters.
Skip this meal. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6282-3
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2021
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