This delightful, fetching tale will appeal to young dog lovers and cat lovers alike.
A lovable dog adopts the attitude and persona of his new feline pal in Trine’s middle-grade novella.
Arbuckle is a perfectly content canine. He’s happy fetching the newspaper for his human, Jack, or sticking his head out of an open window on car rides. But this doesn’t apparently sit well with Arbuckle’s cat neighbor, Sloan. She tells the dog that he doesn’t always have to obey Jack; he can simply say no. Sloan offers this advice more than once, as Arbuckle is easily distracted, but soon enough he takes to ignoring human commands. As Jack worries about his dog, Sloan convinces Arbuckle to explore the “off-the-leash world” outside of his fenced backyard. The more Arbuckle hangs out with Sloan and her feline “gang,” the more he becomes like them—he approaches everything with the typical indifference of cats and even trades his “arfs” for “meows.” Now Jack has a cat, more or less, but he wants his “buddy” back. Is returning to his former doggy ways what Arbuckle wants? In this endearing story, there’s humor aplenty, from Arbuckle’s “out of dog-sight, out of dog-mind” mentality (“Arbuckle was a little confused. Sometimes Jack called him Buddy. Sometimes it was Pal. Now and then Mack… and occasionally Good Boy or Little Fella. But Arbuckle was pretty sure his name was Arbuckle”) to Sloan taking pleasure in leaving hairballs for her human to step on (“Her insides had been busy working up new hairballs. Big slimy ones. She was long overdue to share them with the world”). Along with the laughs, however, are points of identification for younger readers: Arbuckle equates Jack’s commands with rules, and he’s clearly acting out like some kids do. This lighthearted novella takes a scathing view of psychologists; Jack takes Arbuckle to a shrink for dogs who seems primarily invested in the hefty per-visit charge. The final act, though brief, is just as bright and memorable as the multi-species cast.
This delightful, fetching tale will appeal to young dog lovers and cat lovers alike.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9798218167644
Page Count: 92
Publisher: Malamute Press
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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