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MOONGIRL

Name: MOONGIRL
Author: Henry Selick
ISBN: 0-7636-3068-3

by Henry Selick & illustrated by Peter Chan & Courtney Booker ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2006

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In this paper version of an award-winning short film, directed by the author and included on an enclosed DVD, young Leon and his pet squirrel are transported to the darkened Moon where they meet a mysterious lass and her huge cat. Then, after a dustup with the malicious Gargaloon, they help to get the elaborately carved carousel that powers the Moon re-lit and going again. The atmospheric illustrations, which are all new but done in the style of the CGI original, pit human and animal figures with riveting, outsized eyes against a shadowy, jagged, two-headed adversary within deep, grainy backgrounds rendered in indistinct grays and blues. Unfortunately, Selick is a better director than writer; along with exposing the plot’s sketchiness and lack of internal logic, his bland text comes nowhere near to measuring up to the glow of wonder and mystery that suffuses the visuals. Children will find the tale far more engrossing on the screen. (DVD) (Picture book. 6-9)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2006

ISBN: 0-7636-3068-3

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2006

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION

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HOW I BECAME A PIRATE

by Melinda Long & illustrated by David Shannon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2003

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Thanks to parrot-toting Braidbeard and his gloriously disreputable crew, a lad discovers the ups and downs of a pirate’s life in this rousing mini-epic. His mom and dad busy on another part of the beach, young Jeremy happily joins a band of hook-handed, eye-patched, snaggle-toothed pirates aboard their ship, learning pirate table manners (none), enjoying a game of nautical soccer until a shark eats the ball, then happily retiring without having to brush teeth, or even don pajamas. But then Jeremy learns that pirates don’t get tucked in, or get bedtime stories, and as for good night kisses—Avast! Worse yet, no one offers comfort when a storm hits. So, giving over the pirate’s life, Jeremy shows the crew where to bury its treasure (his backyard), and bids them goodbye. Shannon outfits Braidbeard’s leering, pop-eyed lot in ragged but colorful pirate dress, and gives his young ruffian-in-training a belt and bandanna to match. This isn’t likely to turn pirate wannabees into landlubbers, but it will inspire a chorus of yo-ho-hos. (Picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2003

ISBN: 0-15-201848-4

Page Count: 44

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2003

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE CASE OF THE SLIDING SPACESHIP
by Melinda Long ; illustrated by Monica Wyrick

- BOOK REVIEW
HOW I BECAME A PIRATE
by Melinda Long & illustrated by David Shannon & developed by Oceanhouse Media

- BOOK REVIEW
PIRATES DON’T CHANGE DIAPERS
by Melinda Long & illustrated by David Shannon

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PINOCCHIO

by Carlo Collodi & adapted by Elastico srl & illustrated by Lucia Conversi translated by Lemmy Caution developed by Elastico srl ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2011

Multiple taps transform a giggling block of wood in Geppetto’s workshop into a skinny, loose jointed puppet that suddenly...

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Unusually brisk special effects animate this relatively less satiric but equally amusing adaptation of the classic tale.

Multiple taps transform a giggling block of wood in Geppetto’s workshop into a skinny, loose jointed puppet that suddenly delivers a Bronx cheer and then whirls away on a long series of misadventures. These culminate in a final change into a flesh-and-blood boy with help from a fingertip “paintbrush.” Quick and responsive touch- or tilt-activated features range from controllable marionettes, Pinocchio’s tattletale nose and Fire-Eater’s explosive sneeze to a movable candle that illuminates both Geppetto in the fish’s dark belly and the accompanying block of text. Even the thumbnail page images of the index (which opens any time with a shake of the tablet) tumble about, somehow without falling out of order. Though transitions are almost nonexistent in the episodic plot, the text is both substantial enough to have a definite presence and artfully placed in and around Conversi’s brightly colored settings and toylike figures. Text is available in English or Italian with a clear, understated optional audio narration backed by unobtrusive music. A link on the credits page leads to downloadable coloring sheets on the producer’s website.