With lots of talk about farts, some grossness, a good bit of silliness, and loyalty to friends and family as the central...
Ugly Cat and Pablo are back following series opener Ugly Cat & Pablo (2017); this time they are on a mission to find Tamarindo, Ugly Cat’s missing brother.
When Ugly Cat realizes he hasn’t seen his brother in a couple of weeks he jumps to all sorts of unlikely conclusions. The favored hypothesis? That he’s been taken by a chaneque—a mythical creature in Mexican folklore that lures children with his flute playing. On a tip from a hamster that lives in Tamarindo’s house, the unlikely cat and mouse duo set off on a rescue mission to a haunted house. With the help of friends and some “killer cucarachas,” Tamarindo’s whereabouts are soon discovered. In the end, all is happily resolved, with no ghosts or chaneques involved. Knight’s illustrations contribute to the silliness. His depiction of Pablo wearing a makeshift raincoat fashioned out of an old lunch bag is priceless. The visual fun gets a further boost by the distinctive typeface given to each protagonist. As with the first book, there is a liberal amount of Spanish sprinkled throughout the text, but a glossary at the end of the book is there for those who need a little help.
With lots of talk about farts, some grossness, a good bit of silliness, and loyalty to friends and family as the central theme, there is everything to like in this addition to the series. (recipe) (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-545-94096-2
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the...
Using science and technology, third-grader Ada Lace kicks off her new series by solving a mystery even with her leg in a cast.
Temporarily housebound after a badly executed bungee jump, Ada uses binoculars to document the ecosystem of her new neighborhood in San Francisco. She records her observations in a field journal, a project that intrigues new friend Nina, who lives nearby. When they see that Ms. Reed’s dog, Marguerite, is missing, they leap to the conclusion that it has been stolen. Nina does the legwork and Ada provides the technology for their search for the dognapper. Story-crafting takes a back seat to scene-setting in this series kickoff that introduces the major players. As part of the series formula, science topics and gadgetry are integrated into the stories and further explained in a “Behind the Science” afterword. This installment incorporates drones, a wireless camera, gecko gloves, and the Turing test as well as the concept of an ecosystem. There are no ethnic indicators in the text, but the illustrations reveal that Ada, her family, and bratty neighbor Milton are white; Nina appears to be Southeast Asian; and Mr. Peebles, an inventor who lives nearby, is black.
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the chapter-book world. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8599-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to...
A group of talking farm animals catches wind of the farm owner’s intention to burn the barn (with them in it) for insurance money and hatches a plan to flee.
Bond begins briskly—within the first 10 pages, barn cat Burdock has overheard Dewey Baxter’s nefarious plan, and by Page 17, all of the farm animals have been introduced and Burdock is sharing the terrifying news. Grady, Dewey’s (ever-so-slightly) more principled brother, refuses to go along, but instead of standing his ground, he simply disappears. This leaves the animals to fend for themselves. They do so by relying on their individual strengths and one another. Their talents and personalities match their species, bringing an element of realism to balance the fantasy elements. However, nothing can truly compensate for the bland horror of the premise. Not the growing sense of family among the animals, the serendipitous intervention of an unknown inhabitant of the barn, nor the convenient discovery of an alternate home. Meanwhile, Bond’s black-and-white drawings, justly compared to those of Garth Williams, amplify the sense of dissonance. Charming vignettes and single- and double-page illustrations create a pastoral world into which the threat of large-scale violence comes as a shock.
Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to ponder the awkward coincidences that propel the plot. (Animal fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-544-33217-1
Page Count: 256
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 31, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015
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