An entertaining and engaging forest adventure.
Intrepid pals take an excursion into the woods.
Bea, a curious kid, and BFF Box (an aptly named sentient cardboard container) are always eager to explore the world around them. So it’s no surprise that the third book in their smart, silly series finds them researching at the library. While the two are comparing the largest things that ever lived, Bea pinpoints a contender that’s surprisingly close by! It’s a 379-foot-tall giant redwood, the Titan, and Bea’s determined to see it in person. Bea happily plans a camping trip; reluctant Box worries (the woods are rife with perils for a cardboard box, from bark beetles to wildfires). But together they organize a “Survival School” as they gather supplies, practice using a compass, and prepare for possible encounters with bears and Bigfoot. Then it’s time to camp (accompanied by Bea’s mother). The woods hold many wonders: unblocked views of the Milky Way, a rushing waterfall, and, of course, the glorious giant redwood. But challenges arise when Mom twists her ankle and Bea and Box must put their survival skills to work. The series’ recurrent theme of trying new things with humor and intention is perfectly realized here, and Burk’s affable, bright cartooning deftly takes the duo on a field trip well beyond Bea’s backyard. Bea and Mom have brown hair and skin.
An entertaining and engaging forest adventure. (Graphic informational fiction. 5-9)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2026
ISBN: 9781250341976
Page Count: 128
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
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)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
What a wag.
What do you get from sewing the head of a smart dog onto the body of a tough police officer? A new superhero from the incorrigible creator of Captain Underpants.
Finding a stack of old Dog Mancomics that got them in trouble back in first grade, George and Harold decide to craft a set of new(ish) adventures with (more or less) improved art and spelling. These begin with an origin tale (“A Hero Is Unleashed”), go on to a fiendish attempt to replace the chief of police with a “Robo Chief” and then a temporarily successful scheme to make everyone stupid by erasing all the words from every book (“Book ’Em, Dog Man”), and finish off with a sort of attempted alien invasion evocatively titled “Weenie Wars: The Franks Awaken.” In each, Dog Man squares off against baddies (including superinventor/archnemesis Petey the cat) and saves the day with a clever notion. With occasional pauses for Flip-O-Rama featurettes, the tales are all framed in brightly colored sequential panels with hand-lettered dialogue (“How do you feel, old friend?” “Ruff!”) and narrative. The figures are studiously diverse, with police officers of both genders on view and George, the chief, and several other members of the supporting cast colored in various shades of brown. Pilkey closes as customary with drawing exercises, plus a promise that the canine crusader will be further unleashed in a sequel.
What a wag. (Graphic fantasy. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-58160-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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