by Felicia Di John illustrated by Terence Gaylor ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2017
A tale with vivid illustrations and an engaging dog protagonist.
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In this children’s picture book, a daring Chihuahua escapes through an open window and makes a new friend.
Cutie, a curious canine, lives with her human “mom,” 6-year-old Ava Rose. Both wish that the girl could stay home and play, but she must go to school. One morning, Cutie gets bored with her same old puppy food and decides to find something more interesting to do (and eat). In the desert, Cutie meets a green, long-tailed lizard. Once Mr. Lizard realizes Cutie is simply playing, not hunting, they become friendly, and he invites her home for lunch. Cutie doesn’t care for live ants, though, and wishes that she’d eaten her breakfast. After some games, Cutie gets home in time to greet Ava Rose and eat some now-appreciated puppy food. Debut author Di John develops an appealing idea: what adventures do our pets have when we’re not at home? Her story offers a good balance of danger and excitement on the one hand and friendly affection on the other. (However, adults should be sure to tell kids not to leave a window open for their pets.) Gaylor (Asthma Is Not Stopping Me, Featuring Fabulous Me, 2016, etc.) provides expressive, three-dimensional illustrations that give the book a cartoonish brightness and beautifully bring out the desert setting.
A tale with vivid illustrations and an engaging dog protagonist.Pub Date: May 25, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9987568-0-6
Page Count: -
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Amy McCulloch ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2020
A solid series starter for tinkerers and adventurers alike.
Even robot cats have a mind of their own.
All 12-year-old Canadian Lacey Chu’s ever wanted was to become a companioneer like her idol, Monica Chan, co-founder of the largest tech firm in North America, Moncha Corp., and mastermind behind the baku. Bakus, “robotic pets with all the features of a smartphone,” revolutionized society and how people interact with technology. As a companioneer, Lacey could work on bakus: designing, innovating, and building. When she receives a grant rejection from Profectus Academy of Science and Technology, a school that guarantees employment at Moncha Corp., she’s devastated. A happenstance salvaging of a mangled cat baku might just change the game. Suddenly, Lacey’s got an in with Profectus and is one step closer to her dream. Jinx, however, is not quite like the other bakus—he’s a wild cat that does things without commands. Together with Jinx, Lacey will have to navigate competitive classmates and unsettling corporate secrets. McCulloch effectively strikes a balance between worldbuilding and action. High-stakes baku battles demonstrate the emotional bond between (robotic) pet and owner. Readers will also connect to the relationships the Asian girl forges with her diverse classmates, including a rivalry with Carter (a white boy who’s the son of Moncha’s other co-founder, Eric Smith), a burgeoning crush on student Tobias, who’s black, and evolving friendships new and old. While some mysteries are solved, a cliffhanger ending raises even more for the next installment.
A solid series starter for tinkerers and adventurers alike. (Science fiction. 8-13)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4926-8374-2
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
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by Aaron Blabey ; illustrated by Aaron Blabey ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 3, 2017
We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face.
Four misunderstood villains endeavor to turn over a new leaf…or a new rap sheet in Blabey's frenzied romp.
As readers open the first page of this early chapter book, Mr. Wolf is right there to greet them, bemoaning his reputation. "Just because I've got BIG POINTY TEETH and RAZOR-SHARP CLAWS and I occasionally like to dress up like an OLD LADY, that doesn't mean… / … I'm a BAD GUY." To prove this very fact, Mr. Wolf enlists three equally slandered friends into the Good Guys Club: Mr. Snake (aka the Chicken Swallower), Mr. Piranha (aka the Butt Biter), and Mr. Shark (aka Jaws). After some convincing from Mr. Wolf, the foursome sets off determined to un-smirch their names (and reluctantly curbing their appetites). Although these predators find that not everyone is ready to be at the receiving end of their helpful efforts, they use all their Bad Guy know-how to manage a few hilarious good deeds. Blabey has hit the proverbial nail on the head, kissed it full on the mouth, and handed it a stick of Acme dynamite. With illustrations that startle in their manic comedy and deadpan direct address and with a narrative that follows four endearingly sardonic characters trying to push past (sometimes successfully) their fear-causing natures, this book instantly joins the classic ranks of Captain Underpants and The Stinky Cheese Man.
We challenge anyone to read this and keep a straight face. (Fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-91240-2
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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by Aaron Blabey ; illustrated by Aaron Blabey
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