Steven Spielberg meets Lewis Carroll via Jimmy Page in this latest opus from the irrepressible Base (The Discovery of Dragons, 1998, etc.). Young Sprocc from the planet Blipp can’t help himself; he takes up his Splingtwanger, turns the volume up to ten and plays a new tune, even though it is forbidden. For this he’s banished, and hooks up with a underground group competing in the Worst Band contest. They win, but it’s a trick, and they are sent to Wastedump B19 where the great PowerAxe wielder Skat, bitter and cynical, resides. They escape on a music-powered spacecraft, save Blipp from destruction and free the music (with Skat’s help). The story is told in the most amazing verse, complete with descriptions of a bad guy “grobulous with rage,” and a place where “All reggoid beats prohibited. No rok, no phfunk, no jyve.” Base’s extraordinary sense of detail and his riot of color are taken to a new dimension here, in almost indescribable scenes of SF mayhem. He thoughtfully includes not only a list of characters but a CD of the music. Reading this one aloud may lead to riotous story hours. (Picture book. 6-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8109-3998-3
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
In his quest for easy moolah, Owen learns that the road to financial solvency can be rocky and fraught with work. Greene (Owen Foote, Soccer Star, 1998, etc.) touches upon the often-thorny issue of chores and allowances: Owen’s mom wants him to help out because he’s part of the family and not just for the money—while Owen wants the money without having to do tedious household chores. This universal dilemma leaves Owen without funds and eagerly searching for ways to make a quick buck. His madcap schemes range from original—a “free” toilet demonstration that costs 50 cents—to disastrous, as during the trial run of his children’s fishing video, Owen ends up hooking his ear instead of a trout. Enlisting the aid of his stalwart, if long-suffering, friend Joseph, the two form a dog-walking club that becomes vastly restricted in clientele after Owen has a close encounter with an incontinent, octogenarian canine. Ultimately, Owen learns a valuable lesson about work and money when an unselfish action is generously rewarded. These sudden riches motivate Owen to consider wiser investments for his money than plastic vomit. Greene’s crisp writing style and wry humor is on-target for young readers. Brief chapters revolving around a significant event or action and fast pacing are an effective draw for tentative readers. Weston’s (Space Guys!, p. 392, etc.) black-and-white illustrations, ranging in size from quarter- to full-page, deftly portray Owen’s humorous escapades. A wise, witty addition to Greene’s successful series. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2000
ISBN: 0-618-02369-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
PLB 0-688-13166-2 King Midas And The Golden Touch ($16.00; PLB $15.63; Apr.; 32 pp.; 0-688-13165-4; PLB 0-688-13166-2): The familiar tale of King Midas gets the golden touch in the hands of Craft and Craft (Cupid and Psyche, 1996). The author takes her inspiration from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s retelling, capturing the essence of the tale with the use of pithy dialogue and colorful description. Enchanting in their own right, the illustrations summon the Middle Ages as a setting, and incorporate colors so lavish that when they are lost to the uniform gold spurred by King Midas’s touch, the point of the story is further burnished. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-13165-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
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