The first of a proposed quartet introduces Little Fur, an elf troll, tall as a three-year-old child with “slanted green eyes, wild red hair that brambled about her pointed ears and bare, broad, four-toed feet.” Little Fur lives in a wilderness protected by seven ancient trees known as the Old Ones set in the middle of a modern human city. A healer who tends the Old Ones, Little Fur embarks on a quest to save the trees from rogue human tree-burners and to thwart the Troll King’s plot to kill the earth spirit. Armed with her bag of seeds and herbs, Little Fur journeys by night with her animal helpers to find the tree guardian who sleeps in a deep earth crack. Earth-wise and stalwart, Little Fur uses her healing powers to fend off perils of the human world and prove that “sometimes small things could do what greater creatures could not.” This wee eco-fantasy heroine, with her green message, will win the hearts of young environmentalists. (Fantasy. 8-11)
Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2006
ISBN: 0-375-83854-6
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2006
Magical animals become a kooky, sweet metaphor for growing up.
She’s just the adorablest, teeniest of stray kittens—suddenly grown as big as a hippopotamus.
Zoe’s not supposed to bring stray animals home anymore, ever since the skunk incident. Who can resist the world’s smallest kitten, though? And it’s Zoe’s 12th birthday, and she’s been unhappy at how tall she’s grown, and she’s been crushed over her older brother’s impending departure for college; eventually, her concerned parents cave. But after Pipsqueak’s been with Zoe for just a couple of days, she’s suddenly a full-grown cat. Then she’s the size of a dog, then a lion, and after less than a week, a hippo. If the government finds out about the enormous talking feline (for Pipsqueak can speak, now, and read as well), will they take her away to Area 51? Zoe and her best friend, Harrison, begin a quest: They’ll take Pipsqueak to Zoe’s wacky New Age aunt, who’ll maybe have a solution for them. Along the way their fellowship swells with magical animals, an offbeat crew composed of a six-tailed green dog and a multicolored flying mouse. The far-fetched setup and ensuing adventure convey themes that will resonate with the audience; Pipsqueak’s as unhappy with her out-of-control body and circumstances as Zoe, and the quest may lead them to new comfort with themselves. Zoe is depicted as white on the cover, and Harrison is of South Asian descent.
Magical animals become a kooky, sweet metaphor for growing up. (Fantasy. 8-11)Pub Date: June 9, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-358-06502-9
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2020
Big Brown Bear, with a natty bowler hat, is all set to paint the house in this cheerful Level 1 reader. Every page presents a full-color scene and a few words of easily predicted, often rhyming text: “Bear is big. Bear is brown. Bear goes up. He comes down.” Big Bear climbs a ladder with a pail of blue paint, while nearby, Little Bear plays with a ball and bat—“Oh no! Little Bear! Do not do that!” These are simple words, but sometimes challenging ones, e.g., there are two uses of up, as in climbing the ladder and washing up. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations provide nearly ideal context, while also amplifying the story. The format is attractive and practical, featuring large type on a white background that is placed for easy reading. Beginning readers will be amused by the gentle humor in the book, and feel accomplished to have tackled it themselves. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201999-5
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Green Light/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
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