Aunt Gertrude’s library promises a great series to come.
Two children find themselves in the world of The Odyssey, charged with helping Odysseus get home in order to do the same for themselves.
DeLano’s debut is the first in the Book Keeper series, middle-grade readers centered on the magical book collection of Liz and Charlie’s eccentric aunt Gertrude. Aunt Gertrude’s visits are always an exciting event for the two children, but this time she has brought with her a large library of books, with strict instructions for the children not to open them. Charlie, the younger of the two, of course immediately opens The Odyssey, and the two children suddenly find themselves in a doorway covered in ivy. Homer appears and informs them that they’re now part of the escapade and can only go home when they reach the end, meaning they have to help make sure Odysseus arrives home safely. Once they meet Odysseus and his men, who perceive them as helpers sent from the gods, the story begins in earnest. The children and Odysseus (whom Charlie calls “Odus” because he can’t pronounce Odysseus) face the Cyclops, the Lotus Eaters, the Sirens and finally the suitors who have been pursuing Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, since he has been gone. The book is well-written and laced with memorable lines; e.g., “It was a north wind that blew Aunt Gertrude into town. At least that was how it seemed, for on the night she arrived at Liz’s house, there was blue lightning in the sky and the wind howled fiercely against the shutters.” It’s also well-paced, and the children blend seamlessly into the classic tale while still retaining their own concerns and initiatives. They help where they are needed without overwhelming the original plot or engaging in unrealistic heroics. Liz and Charlie are fun, relatable main characters with a goal many children will understand: Get home and enjoy the adventure along the way. The novel also serves as an appealing, kid-friendly introduction to The Odyssey or a fun way to dive deeper into familiar stories. Gertrude’s book collection promises more adventures to come and more classics for the two children to explore, with child readers right beside them.
Aunt Gertrude’s library promises a great series to come.Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2014
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 87
Publisher: Pink Chicken Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 28, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
SEEN & HEARD
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