This quiet, delightful, and profound story will make young readers feel as warm and fuzzy as the cast members.
A lively bunch of animals discovers new interests in this debut middle-grade novel.
Leon the field mouse doesn’t have many friends. He mostly reads books inside a shed so tiny there’s no room for guests. His pal Ralph the woodchuck suggests they both find other hobbies. So they look for ideas from other animals in the woods, on the Hochmeisters’ farm, and at the pond. For example, Brenda the mourning dove’s favorite hobby is singing, and Harry the toad likes “basking and blinking,” which is apparently much tougher than it sounds. As Leon and Ralph learn about different pastimes, they also make new friends, each one joining them on their excursion. Suddenly, this eclectic group faces a harrowing ordeal. But they may be able to tackle if they stay united. And that field mouse, even if he’s much smaller than the other animals, can lend a helping paw. Segelstein’s simple tale introduces a plethora of four-legged and winged creatures who overflow with personality. This includes redwing blackbird Trevor, who grumbles over his dad’s singing lessons; Fidgit the squirrel and the curious way he sharpens his mind; and Horace, a mutt who lives on the farm and is proud of his impeccable sniffer. The crew faces individual dilemmas, too. Leon sadly writes himself off as “just a field mouse,” and Benny, another woodchuck, struggles with anxiety. Segelstein’s joyful depiction of sharing skills and hobbies will enchant youngsters. The animals, who articulate their feelings and interests and are indisputably stronger when they work together, collectively demonstrate the importance of community. Maliush’s charming illustrations give each animal its due, skillfully rendering, for example, a porcupine’s quills or a redwing blackbird’s markings.
This quiet, delightful, and profound story will make young readers feel as warm and fuzzy as the cast members.Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9798218526917
Page Count: 181
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: July 9, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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