A good choice for fun, effortless learning.
Three children are transported to ancient Egypt in this fact-filled graphic novel.
Luna, an 8-year-old white girl with long, turquoise braids, Nani, a 7-year-old black girl with short, straight, white hair that swoops upward, and Newton, a 10-year-old white boy, are excited to visit the museum. When the three “histronauts” (and their cat, Hero) enter the ancient Egypt exhibit and Nani touches a papyrus display, they find themselves dressed in cultural robes, facing a brown-skinned woman on the banks of the Nile who’s collecting papyrus for her husband, the scribe. The children are barely surprised (they tell her, “We’re exploring!” and “I think we might be lost”). The woman, who is a priestess, brings the group with her to various places, including the Valley of the Kings, a secret village where craftspeople work in the valley’s tombs, her own home, and a temple. Through the journey, knowledgeable Luna and the casual hosts teach Nani and Newton about the culture while additional pages of activities teach readers how to make a sundial, play a game of senet, make Egyptian flatbread, and more. The varied format, with story interspersed with facts and activities, makes for an engaging presentation of a significant amount of material, though some activities are more interesting than others. The clean art makes fine use of ancient Egyptian aesthetics.
A good choice for fun, effortless learning. (quiz, glossary, timeline) (Graphic fiction/nonfiction. 6-10)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-63163-240-2
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
With plenty left to be resolved, the next entry will be eagerly sought after.
Drake has been selected by the king to serve as a Dragon Master, quite a change for an 8-year-old farmer boy.
The dragons are a secret, and the reason King Roland has them is a mystery, but what is clear is that the Dragon Stone has identified Drake as one of the rare few children who have a special connection with dragons and the ability to serve as a trainer. Drake’s dragon is a long brown creature with, at first, no particular talents that Drake can identify. He calls the dragon Worm. It isn’t long before Drake begins to realize he has a very strong connection with Worm and can share what seem to be his dragon’s thoughts. After one of the other Dragon Masters decides to illicitly take the dragons outside, disaster strikes. The cave they are passing through collapses, blocking the passageway, and then Worm’s special talent becomes evident. The first of a new series of early chapter books, this entry is sure to attract fans. Brief chapters, large print, lots of action, attractive illustrations in every spread, including a maplike panorama, an enviable protagonist—who wouldn’t want to be a Dragon Master?—all combine to make an entertaining read.
With plenty left to be resolved, the next entry will be eagerly sought after. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-64624-6
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Branches/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Multiple taps transform a giggling block of wood in Geppetto’s workshop into a skinny, loose jointed puppet that suddenly...
Unusually brisk special effects animate this relatively less satiric but equally amusing adaptation of the classic tale.
Multiple taps transform a giggling block of wood in Geppetto’s workshop into a skinny, loose jointed puppet that suddenly delivers a Bronx cheer and then whirls away on a long series of misadventures. These culminate in a final change into a flesh-and-blood boy with help from a fingertip “paintbrush.” Quick and responsive touch- or tilt-activated features range from controllable marionettes, Pinocchio’s tattletale nose and Fire-Eater’s explosive sneeze to a movable candle that illuminates both Geppetto in the fish’s dark belly and the accompanying block of text. Even the thumbnail page images of the index (which opens any time with a shake of the tablet) tumble about, somehow without falling out of order. Though transitions are almost nonexistent in the episodic plot, the text is both substantial enough to have a definite presence and artfully placed in and around Conversi’s brightly colored settings and toylike figures. Text is available in English or Italian with a clear, understated optional audio narration backed by unobtrusive music. A link on the credits page leads to downloadable coloring sheets on the producer’s website.Pub Date: March 17, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Elastico srl
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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