Aimed squarely at Captain Underpants fans, this mixed-format romp introduces two lads who decide to solve their cash-flow problems by becoming fabulously rich authors like J.K. Rowling. Instead, they fall down a shaft into the counterpane Netherworld, where “Dr. Nietsneknarf,” DDS and his slobbery minion “Rogi” reveal plans to use their brains to create “boy-brain creatures—the world will no longer be safe from slackers and gingivitis! Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!” Running into, and then away from, a werewolf, a vampire and several “graveyards with dead trees with blood and guts hanging off them,” Fred and Anthony make their way home accompanied by a ghost with literary pretensions. Expertly blending short blocks of text with pages from a Netherworld travel guide and quick-sketch cartoon panels, Primavera—or “Arevamirp”—never lets up on either the laughs or the helter-skelter action. A series kickoff with kicks galore. (Fantasy. 9-11)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-7868-3677-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2007
A brief, enigmatic story that parks most of its meaning (if there is any) on the metaphorical level. Forbidden to do so, Reina, Clara, and Amelia often sneak out of town to seen the mountain- sized giant. They always find him standing stiffly in his garden or bending down to weed with boulder-sized fingertips, oblivious to them no matter how much they shout, or wave, or hop about. One day, though, they catch his eye and, before beating a hasty retreat, leave three flowers in his palm. The girls are strongly affected by the episode and that night, safe in bed, hear the giant weeping, too. Readers are likely to find the point elusive, though Gerstein's exuberant illustrations—the girls, with arms and legs perpetually in motion, dash and dance through lush gardens and along the very edge of a rocky outcrop—and intense, simply phrased writing make an appealing match. The giant is a melancholy figure with the face of a young man, dressed in a patchwork of rags and rendered in washed-out colors, so huge that his face and hands are landscaped with streams, shrubs, and wildlife. A puzzling, perhaps private story, it is reminiscent of Oscar Wilde's fairy tales. (Picture book. 9-11)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-7868-0131-X
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1995
A rural, pleasantly ramshackle garage is the setting for this lively book. Each spread features the station and its forecourt, with a flurry of activity accompanying each turn of the page: The garage opens up for the day; a bashed-in car arrives; a brief squall soaks a lady, her swain, and their tony convertible. Over it all presides Mr. Fingers, a harmlessly gangsterish type in striped trousers and white jacket. Dupasquier (Andy's Pirate Ship, 1994, etc.) keeps the text quick, simple, and hand-in-glove with the illustrations (``Mick and Mack start to work on Mr. Walker's car. Pete serves the first customer''). These watercolors are equally nimble, deliberately cartoonish in the linework and saturated colors. The front and rear flap covers fold out with an array of questions and puzzles pertaining to the story. Bright, boisterous, fun; for children who take to the format, there are two companion volumes: A Busy Day at the Airport (ISBN 1-56402-591-8) and A Busy Day at the Building Site (592-6). (Picture book. 4+)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1996
ISBN: 1-56402-590-X
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1995
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