A quick pull on a reliable, if not exactly minty-fresh, formula.
Walliams drills into a primal fear with this tale of a new dentist with a decidedly evil agenda.
In a blatant grab at Roald Dahl fans, the author pulls out a cast of cheeky children, thoroughly rotten villains, and clueless but well-meaning grown-ups for a Brit-flavored romp that combines moments of intense terror and bracing courage with biting satire—oh, and gruesome bits. Ross offers a plethora of loosely sketched ink-and-wash vignettes generally indistinguishable from Quentin Blake’s. All over town, children have been putting lost teeth beneath their pillows and, instead of money, getting cat poo, oozing scabs, and like rewards. Worse yet, following shocked comments about the state of 12-year-old Alfie’s “teet,” canny Winnie, a flamboyant new West Indian social worker, tricks the lad into visiting the newly arrived (with her cat, Fang) dentist, Miss Root. Alfie regains consciousness with nary a tooth in his mouth—it seems that Miss Root is the Tooth Witch herself. She’s not to be stopped, either, without help from new, dreadlocked friend (not girlfriend) Gabz, a vat of acid with revolting ingredients (carefully listed), and lots of dynamite. Walliams spritzes the narrative with made-up but not particularly inventive words and large-type screaming. Winnie, dark-skinned Gabz (short for Gabriella), and newsagent Raj are the only notable nonwhite characters; Winnie’s accent is an unfortunate running joke.
A quick pull on a reliable, if not exactly minty-fresh, formula. (pictorial cast list) (Horror. 9-11)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-241704-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2015
An uncomplicated caper with a large but not unwieldy informational load.
A budding journalist takes a dip into marine science while investigating a series of mysterious power failures at a local aquarium.
Tied in with long-distance video interviews, infodumps, and an appended multipage color photo spread to the real OceanXplorer research vessel, this series kickoff finds easily distracted fifth grader Marena Montoya volunteering as a junior science reporter for the aquarium’s newsletter—providing a tailor-made opportunity for readers to learn more about coral reefs and recent discoveries in marine biology as she researches topics for articles or makes presentations. Meanwhile, looking into a strange series of nighttime power failures leads her from romanticized notions of a ghost in the building to exposing the solidly scientific real cause (which involves a precocious octopus and is based on a true incident). Monochrome images of Marena and her best friend, Aisha, depicting both with dark skin, add stylish notes; the episode’s STEM-centric slant is underscored by a substantial number of full-page and spot views of maps, documents, the featured ship, and marine life.
An uncomplicated caper with a large but not unwieldy informational load. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781681889245
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Weldon Owen
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
An expert mix of infodumps and action makes for smooth sailing.
A young stowaway takes an unexpected trip on a marine research ship and gets a chance to search for sunken treasure in this second outing.
Marena Montoya doesn’t mean to stow away aboard the OceanXplorer—she just gets locked in a refrigerator storage room during a tour and isn’t found until the ship departs Miami. Her older brother Lucas, onboard as an intern, is not happy. Luckily the captain and crew welcome her and even let her try her hand at using the arm controls on a Remote Operated Vehicle—experience that comes in handy later when she saves her brother’s life by remotely untangling ropes fouling his submersible’s propellers. Along with a suspenseful climax, this information-rich tale offers Marena and readers a quick tour of the OceanXplorer (a real-life research ship) both through the narrative and an appended photo spread, quick looks at some of its personnel and research activities, and thrilling encounters with a giant squid and other marine life. Better yet, Marena’s fascination with sunken treasure leads both to learning about some famous shipwrecks and an invitation to join a modern salvage expert in searching for one. Names cue some diversity in the cast; illustrations not seen.
An expert mix of infodumps and action makes for smooth sailing. (Informational fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781681889085
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Weldon Owen
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
