Mister H may be inscrutable, but once readers notice him, they will find him hard to forget.
A hippopotamus escapes from a zoo in this fable from Spain.
Hippo Mister H prevails on schoolgirl Rosanna to liberate him from his enclosure, declaring that “Being in this place is what’s against the law, the Law of Nature.” Once she accedes, she quickly fades from the narrative, which follows Mister H as he placidly proceeds through the zoo, determinedly overlooked by passersby who choose not to notice the extraordinary. Those who do notice him do so with blinkered literalness, such as the gardener who helps them through the zoo’s turnstile while lecturing him about overeating. His progress through the surrounding city goes similarly unremarked, until a kind server at Porcupine Pizza forgives his colossal bill (though he has acquired clothing in the illustrations, he has no money). Lozano’s gouache illustrations, both full-page and vignettes, recall the stylings of such mid-20th-century masters as M. Sasek. Most children will find themselves frustrated by the elliptical, inconclusive end, which finds Mister H walking off into the darkness “with the hope that someone would guide him to his home” in Africa. But those attuned to tone may let the wry whimsy carry them, and even if they aren’t entirely sure what Mister H’s quest is, they may find themselves regarding the easy truisms of the adult world with a knowing eye.
Mister H may be inscrutable, but once readers notice him, they will find him hard to forget. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5440-7
Page Count: 61
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to...
A group of talking farm animals catches wind of the farm owner’s intention to burn the barn (with them in it) for insurance money and hatches a plan to flee.
Bond begins briskly—within the first 10 pages, barn cat Burdock has overheard Dewey Baxter’s nefarious plan, and by Page 17, all of the farm animals have been introduced and Burdock is sharing the terrifying news. Grady, Dewey’s (ever-so-slightly) more principled brother, refuses to go along, but instead of standing his ground, he simply disappears. This leaves the animals to fend for themselves. They do so by relying on their individual strengths and one another. Their talents and personalities match their species, bringing an element of realism to balance the fantasy elements. However, nothing can truly compensate for the bland horror of the premise. Not the growing sense of family among the animals, the serendipitous intervention of an unknown inhabitant of the barn, nor the convenient discovery of an alternate home. Meanwhile, Bond’s black-and-white drawings, justly compared to those of Garth Williams, amplify the sense of dissonance. Charming vignettes and single- and double-page illustrations create a pastoral world into which the threat of large-scale violence comes as a shock.
Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to ponder the awkward coincidences that propel the plot. (Animal fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-544-33217-1
Page Count: 256
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 31, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015
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