Just the ticket for chapter-book readers in need of some giggles.
Dragon siblings Ella and Owen have a wacky adventure.
Energetic Ella’s tired of Owen staying in bed with his cold (and the germs and fire sneezes that come with it). Bookworm Owen’s more than happy to stay put reading fairy tales about dragons defeating knights in shining armor. Ella bribes Owen out of bed with the chance to obtain more ogre toenails for his collection, and off they go to find the wizard Orlock Morlock to cure Owen’s cold. (What Owen doesn’t know is that Ella fibbed, telling him that their destination’s the Cave of Caves instead of the aptly named Cave of Aaaaah! Doom!) After escaping a dragon-eating ogre, they reach the cave, where a winged Wicked Wizard Waffle terrifies them. Driving it away, they then learn that Orlock Morlock is an evil vegetable (literally) wizard rather than a dragon wizard. They end up helping him, negotiating for their freedom, Owen’s cure, and his agreement to restrict his evilness to Mondays (and evil holidays). Then they set off for home and one last twist—they’re lost again. The simultaneously publishing sequel, Attack of the Stinky Fish Monster!, starts up right at that cliffhanger to quickly resolve it and launches into the siblings’ misfortunes while trying to bake their mother a birthday cake. While the emphasis is clearly on maximum silliness, Kent’s depiction of the siblings’ relationship will ring true to many readers.
Just the ticket for chapter-book readers in need of some giggles. (Fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: March 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0393-8
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Innocuous adventuring on the smallest of scales.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1965) upgrades to The Mice and the Rolls-Royce.
In Windsor Castle there sits a “dollhouse like no other,” replete with working plumbing, electricity, and even a full library of real, tiny books. Called Queen Mary’s Dollhouse, it also plays host to the Whiskers family, a clan of mice that has maintained the house for generations. Henry Whiskers and his cousin Jeremy get up to the usual high jinks young mice get up to, but when Henry’s little sister Isabel goes missing at the same time that the humans decide to clean the house up, the usually bookish big brother goes on the adventure of his life. Now Henry is driving cars, avoiding cats, escaping rats, and all before the upcoming mouse Masquerade. Like an extended version of Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904), Priebe keeps this short chapter book constantly moving, with Duncan’s peppy art a cute capper. Oddly, the dollhouse itself plays only the smallest of roles in this story, and no factual information on the real Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is included at the tale’s end (an opportunity lost).
Innocuous adventuring on the smallest of scales. (Fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6575-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
A story of friendship that is both lively and lovely
Two friends embark upon a high-seas adventure.
Kondo, a large lemon-colored creature with wide round eyes, spends his day on his island home with his best friend, tangerine-hued Kezumi. Together, they frolic on their idyllic isle picking berries (tall Kondo nabs the higher fruit while Kezumi helps to retrieve the lower) while surrounded by tiny “flitter-birds” and round “fluffle-bunnies.” One day, Kezumi finds a map in a bottle that declares “WE ARE NOT ALONE.” Inspired by visions of a larger world, Kondo and Kezumi fashion a boat from a bathtub and set sail. The pair visits fantastical islands—deliciously cheese-laden Dairy Isle, the fiery and fearsome Fireskull Island—until they eventually settle upon the titular Giant Island, where they meet Albert, a gigantic gray talking mountain who is—obviously—unable to leave. Enthralled by his new friends, Albert wants them to stay forever. After Albert makes a fraught decision, Kondo and Kezumi find themselves at a crossroads and must confront their new friend. Goodner and Tsurumi’s brightly illustrated chapter book should find favor with fans of Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen’s similarly designed Mercy Watson series. Short, wry, descriptive sentences make for an equally enjoyable experience whether read aloud or independently. Episodic chapters move the action along jauntily; the conclusion is somewhat abrupt, but it promises more exploration and adventures for the best friends. (This review was originally published in the June 1, 2019, issue. The book data has been updated to reflect changes in publisher and date of publication.)
A story of friendship that is both lively and lovely (Fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-368-02577-5
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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