A satisfying, old-fashioned–feeling magical adventure.
Eleven-year-old Jake and 6-year-old Simon, Canadian brothers, acquire three magic objects that enable them to help themselves and several other people.
Almost immediately after their arrival in London, England, with their mother, Rachel, a sidewalk magician gives the boys a magic camera, stopwatch, and “oriental” carpet. Only Simon believes in the objects’ magic, but soon after the family arrives at the home of Rachel’s sister and her husband and daughter, Hannah, the boys find themselves touring London via flying carpet. Facts about the city entwine seamlessly with a cinematic text. Jake begins privately plotting illegal ways to return his family to Canada while his dad is away. When the carpet becomes waterlogged, Hannah joins the boys in exploring by bike and using the other magic objects. Although set in a time contemporary enough to have their antics posted on YouTube, this fantasy, with its cast of resourceful, Anglo-Saxon children, loving but often clueless adults, and lighthearted, chaotic adventures, is reminiscent of the novels of E. Nesbit and Edward Eager. There are brief, serious switches in tone when Jake expresses anger about the poverty gap and when readers learn that Jake’s father is in prison—although not why. Most of the text is humorous, with endearing characters (including the queen of England), madcap adventures, and happy endings—plus an opening for a sequel starring Hannah.
A satisfying, old-fashioned–feeling magical adventure. (Fantasy. 7-11)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-77138-203-8
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape.
The fourth installment in Delacre’s early-reader series centers on the rich musical traditions of Puerto Rico, once again featuring sibling tree frogs Rafi and Rosi Coquí.
Readers learn along with Rafi and Rosi as they explore bomba, plena, and salsa in three chapters. A glossary at the beginning sets readers up well to understand the Spanish vocabulary, including accurate phoneticization for non-Spanish speakers. The stories focus on Rafi and Rosi’s relationship within a musical context. For example, in one chapter Rafi finds out that he attracts a larger audience playing his homemade güiro with Rosi’s help even though he initially excluded her: “Big brothers only.” Even when he makes mistakes, as the older brother, Rafi consoles Rosi when she is embarrassed or angry at him. In each instance, their shared joy for music and dance ultimately shines through any upsets—a valuable reflection of unity. Informational backmatter and author’s sources are extensive. Undoubtedly these will help teachers, librarians, and parents to develop Puerto Rican cultural programs, curriculum, or home activities to extend young readers’ learning. The inclusion of instructions to make one’s own homemade güiro is a thoughtful addition. The Spanish translation, also by Delacre and published simultaneously, will require a more advanced reader than the English one to recognize and comprehend contractions (“pa’bajo-pa-pa’rriba”) and relatively sophisticated vocabulary.
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape. (Early reader. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-89239-429-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Children's Book Press
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
Though the lessons weigh more heavily than in The One and Only Ivan, a potential disappointment to its fans, the story is...
Applegate tackles homelessness in her first novel since 2013 Newbery winner The One and Only Ivan.
Hunger is a constant for soon-to-be fifth-grader Jackson and his family, and the accompanying dizziness may be why his imaginary friend is back. A giant cat named Crenshaw first appeared after Jackson finished first grade, when his parents moved the family into their minivan for several months. Now they’re facing eviction again, and Jackson’s afraid that he won’t be going to school next year with his friend Marisol. When Crenshaw shows up on a surfboard, Jackson, an aspiring scientist who likes facts, wonders whether Crenshaw is real or a figment of his imagination. Jackson’s first-person narrative moves from the present day, when he wishes that his parents understood that he’s old enough to hear the truth about the family’s finances, to the first time they were homeless and back to the present. The structure allows readers access to the slow buildup of Jackson’s panic and his need for a friend and stability in his life. Crenshaw tells Jackson that “Imaginary friends don’t come of their own volition. We are invited. We stay as long as we’re needed.” The cat’s voice, with its adult tone, is the conduit for the novel’s lessons: “You need to tell the truth, my friend….To the person who matters most of all.”
Though the lessons weigh more heavily than in The One and Only Ivan, a potential disappointment to its fans, the story is nevertheless a somberly affecting one . (Fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-04323-8
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015
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