A disorienting and inconsistent tale of animal friendships.
Two kittens move to a new home and make new friends in Guberman’s children’s novella.
Young felines Meriwether and Camille live with their mother, Pearl, and their siblings. After their brothers and sisters are adopted,Pearl, Camille, and Meriwether move with their human owners to Chattahoochee, Florida. There, they live in a new barn and become involved in various adventures. Guberman’s book has some strong sections early on, such as a sequence in which a river’s fast current whisks the kittens away until a river keeper saves them by extending a tree branch: “Using all their strength, the kittens catch the branch and hold onto its rough bark.” However, things become distractingly fantastical in the book’s latter half. Up to that point, the narrative sticks to semirealistic scenarios, such as Meriwether and Camille’s befriending a cat on a leash, encountering a dog who loves chasing cats, and having a play date with a new feline pal. Even a section involving a bear cub lost from the zoo feels of a piece with what’s been established so far. But after that, the kittens travel to Atlanta, board a blimp at a zoo, and end up in the Amazon rainforest, where they meet an alligator with a rainbow coming out of his mouth—which the kittens use to return to Georgia, where they start attending school. The problem with this story isn’t the inclusion of fantastical elements, per se, but the abruptness with which they’re introduced relatively late in the story. Overall, the story feels convoluted and confusing; indeed, it could have easily been three separate books. Mitchell’s cartoon line drawings at the start of each chapter clearly represent the story’s events.
A disorienting and inconsistent tale of animal friendships.Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2021
ISBN: 9781954805088
Page Count: 99
Publisher: Bold Story Press
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
Lively fun with animal friends.
Has Plum’s pep deserted him?
Several animals from the Athensville Zoo are on their way to visit an elementary school. Overconfident Itch the ningbing (an Australian marsupial), unaware that zookeeper Lizzie will be doing all the talking, looks forward to “lecturing eager young minds.” Plum, the usually chipper peacock, on the other hand, is anxious—maybe the schoolchildren won’t like him or he’ll get lost. So when they arrive at the school to find the students have been sent home due to a blizzard, Plum is relieved. The animals are left in a school gym for the night until three self-important class mice free them. Itch heads for the library to meet the learned turtle, but Plum reluctantly explores with his friends. When his anxiety peaks, they reassure him, and when the mice reject Meg, another peacock, as “borrrring” and uncool, they buoy her as well before everyone comes together to save Itch, who finds himself outside and stranded in a snowdrift. Unlike Leave It to Plum (2022), this is not a mystery, and the relationship focus shifts from Lizzie to the rodents, but the pace is brisk, and sequel seekers will be pleased to revisit familiar characters (if dismayed that Itch’s longing for knowledge leads to his downfall). In Phelan’s engaging grayscale pen-and-wash illustrations, Lizzie has short curly hair; text and art cue her as Latine.
Lively fun with animal friends. (how to draw Plum) (Chapter book. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-307920-5
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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