A remarkable fantasy that features life-affirming themes for both kids and adults.
While missing her father, a girl discovers her own surprising secret in this middle-grade fantasy.
Young Swannie Wynstan lives near the seaside village of Nammig with her mother, Sarika. One year ago to the day, her father, Thomas, vanished on his fishing boat during a storm. Swannie plans to enjoy the day at Chepi’s Grotto, her favorite place. But near Finn’s Cove, she hears someone call, “Help me please.” To her surprise, it’s a dolphin trapped on the beach. Swannie can speak with the dolphin, whose name is Matmaka, because, as he tells her, “there is more to you than you can imagine.” After she helps him back into the water, Swannie agrees to meet Matmaka on the beach in one month. In the meantime, he sets her on a magical quest by instructing her to shout into a certain hole in the earth: “Wake up and show me the Golden Secret.” Swannie meets a series of elemental beings, including the Fay of the Big Mist, who leads her to a special coin with a snake wrapped around it. Later, after waking up on the beach, Swannie wonders if her adventures were real. Back in school, she befriends a girl named Feliciana, who has cancer. When Swannie reunites with Matmaka, she discovers a secret ability that may help heal her own life and the lives of those around her. Eric G. Müller’s middle-grade fantasy gives audiences, regardless of age, a wider view of the world. Swannie’s quest eventually takes her to an intriguing place called Amarvin Island. The elaborate narrative unfolds in hypnotic layers, frequently depicting ways to aid the environment, such as collecting beach trash. Exceptional twists keep the story engaging even after dramatic peaks. Younger readers will adore characters like Skwee and Skew, talking squirrels who later, along with the entire cast, become integral to the plot. The author’s exceptional central theme, that environmental protection is a holistic effort that requires everyone’s participation, arrives in the line “Whatever happens to Amarvin happens to the rest of the world.” Friendship, loyalty, and dedication sweeten the final passages. Black-and-white illustrations by Martina A. Müller are gorgeous and evocative.
A remarkable fantasy that features life-affirming themes for both kids and adults.Pub Date: May 16, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-73668-292-0
Page Count: 282
Publisher: Alkion Press
Review Posted Online: June 17, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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