Armed with humor and heart, these underdogs are ready to step into the spotlight.
Tired of being overlooked and underestimated, four sidekicks team up to prove they can be heroes in their own rights.
Called together by Junior Justice, “the world’s greatest martial artist,” this motley crew of young crime fighters also includes Flygirl, an acrobatic flyer who can weaponize insects; Dinomite, a creature who can transform into any dinosaur; and unlikely ally Goo. Goo, a large pink blob, is the creation of the villain Dr. Enok and recently escaped imprisonment; he assures the other sidekicks that he’s not evil and only looking for friendship. When the adult superheroes arrive to reclaim their sidekicks, they misjudge Goo’s intentions, and a giant battle ensues. Amid the chaos, Dr. Enok swoops in and kidnaps Goo. The sidekicks formulate a plan to rescue their new friend by combining their individual talents to take down Dr. Enok. This entertaining series opener charms with bright, full-color illustrations and loads of humor. Easy-to-follow panels and action sequences keep the pages turning, and the setting of sunny Sydney, Australia, is a refreshing departure from Gotham-like locales. Junior Justice is cued as Southeast Asian with black hair and light-brown skin, and Flygirl reads White with pale skin and red hair. Most of the adult heroes and Dr. Enok read White.
Armed with humor and heart, these underdogs are ready to step into the spotlight. (drawing tips) (Graphic adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-17505-7
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2020
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
A deeply imaginative journey that puts the “cat” in cathartic.
A loyal black kitten’s boy is under supernatural attack.
Eleven-month-old Nimbus loves Fletcher, the boy who nursed her back to health following life-threatening injuries. When Fletcher becomes curious about a strange jar and opens it, releasing a terrible goblin, loyal Nim protects Fletcher, taking heavy damage in the process. But Fletcher’s aunt, who’s caring for him over spring break, believes Nim attacked Fletcher and dumps her far from home. Rhett, a stylish rat with star quality, befriends injured Nim and leads her to a witch’s house. While the witch cares for Nim, the witch’s cats (maternal Fern, bookish Rochester, standoffish Bianca, and openly hostile Abraxas) teach Nim important cat skills. She also discovers she has a supernatural ability: In destroying one eye of the nightmare demon in the fight to protect Fletcher, Nim gained its “dream sight.” But she also learns it might come back for Fletcher, who no longer has Nim to protect him, posing a time-sensitive, high-stakes threat. Even though the witch’s home is nice and magic itself seems to be telling her to stay put, Nim wants to find a way back to Fletcher. As a hero, Nimbus is as gritty and determined as she is adorable. Tear-jerker moments explore pet abandonment—readers may want their own pets on hand to hug—all the way through the magical, action-packed finale. Fletcher and the witch read white.
A deeply imaginative journey that puts the “cat” in cathartic. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780062680372
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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