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THE BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA

Name: THE BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
Author: Henrik Van Ryzin

From the Bartleby's Book of Buttons series , Vol. 2

by Henrik Van Ryzin & Denise Van Ryzin & developed by Monster Costume ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 11, 2011

Lucky for the developers that Bartleby's books are worth the wait. This app series continues to delight; it feels innovative...

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A continuation of the charmingly playful series about button-collecting, bowler-hat–wearing Bartleby, this volume is no less winning than the first even as it adds more locales and characters.

When last we left Bartleby, his brief trip to Mystery Island yielded treasure. This time out, an encounter with Bartleby's friend Sally (who's into switches the way he's into buttons) leads to an adventure on and under the sea, which reveals a long-lost family member and a cliffhanger ending that points to a third volume that will likely take place in space. As in the first book, the detailed animation (watch as Bartleby's bushy mustache flaps in the wind as he rides his moped), clever-but-not-too-difficult puzzles and retro-tech vibe are a great combination. Bartleby doesn't speak much, but he doesn't have to; he expresses himself in the way he solves puzzles, pursues clues and treasures his buttons. Hidden maps, deep-sea buttons, secret underwater caves and sleepy whales figure into a story that's packed with great imagery and texture. Volume two feels twice as long as the first book did, and it's satisfying, but the cliffhanger may be a problem for some faithful readers given how long it takes for a new app to be released; it's been nearly a year since we saw the previous adventure.

Lucky for the developers that Bartleby's books are worth the wait. This app series continues to delight; it feels innovative and well-told at the same time, a tricky balance. (iPad storybook/puzzle app. 4-10)

Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2011

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Octopus Kite

Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2011

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FRANKENKITTY

by Maudie Powell-Tuck ; illustrated by Mini Grey ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2026

A top-grade creepy/funny addition to the spooky-picture-book canon.

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Is a cute kitty built in a castle’s laboratory responsible for the bad things that start happening?

“Here is a tale to chill the blood and thrill the soul—a tale of spooky paws and eerie claws.” The disembodied talking skull who narrates this story is alluding to Frankenkitty, who was engineered out of multiple cats, with visible stitches to show for it. As the house ghouls look on, Frankenkitty’s inventor laments, “I’ve created a monster!” Sure enough, bad things start happening: The mummy begins to unravel. Kitchen mice terrorize the cook. Certainly, Frankenkitty must be to blame. But after the butler, who resembles Frankenstein’s Monster, tosses Frankenkitty outside into the snow, where he looks forlorn and adorable, the skull has second thoughts: “Wait! Did we get it wrong?” It’s up to readers to make the call. Powell-Tuck goes all in with her spoof of old-time horror tropes, although kids needn’t know who Boris Karloff is to be tickled. For the book’s every scare (a severed foot and hand, their bones visible), there’s a wink (in a bit of metafictive fun, the skull urges readers to opt for a story about “unicorns, beasts, or bears”). Grey, a glutton for detail, leans on menacing reds and sickly greens to capture the frights, which include, in a line for the spooky-story ages, “walls as gray as old underpants.” Human characters vary in skin tone.

A top-grade creepy/funny addition to the spooky-picture-book canon. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: July 7, 2026

ISBN: 9781664300972

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tiger Tales

Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL

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DON'T DO IT, DOUG!
by Maudie Powell-Tuck ; illustrated by Duncan Beedie

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THE MOONLIGHT ZOO
by Maudie Powell-Tuck ; illustrated by Karl James Mountford

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THE MAGICAL CHRISTMAS STORE
by Maudie Powell-Tuck ; illustrated by Hoang Giang

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DOG DAYS

From the Carver Chronicles series , Vol. 1

by Karen English ; illustrated by Laura Freeman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 17, 2013

This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...

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A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.

Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.

This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)