Playful, creative illustrations showcase a plucky, unlikely hero whose quest to survive will delight.
In this wordless tale, Mr. Buttonman, a tiny, slender stick figure stitched from black thread with a blue button head, innocently picks a daisy from a grassy landscape. Suddenly, a woman unceremoniously grabs him by his button head and tosses him into her pocketbook, where he finds himself surrounded by keys, coin purse, lipstick, pins, coins, and a cough drop. After carrying Mr. Buttonman to her home, the woman drops him into a jar filled with assorted buttons on her sewing table. Frantically rattling the jar, Mr. Buttonman manages to tip it over and jettison himself onto the table, but he literally loses his head in the process. Following several failed attempts to replace his missing head with different buttons, Mr. Buttonman locates his own blue button and deftly stitches it in place. But how will he escape this house and the fierce, interfering marmalade cat that thinks Mr. Buttonman’s the perfect toy? Mr. Buttonman’s abduction and subsequent actions to escape are revealed through illustrations hand-stitched from appliqued fabric, buttons, thread, and yarn, using simple shapes and bright colors. Close-up scenes showcase Mr. Buttonman as an action hero, fighting his way out of the jar and resourcefully using materials at hand, despite his diminutive size and fragile physique.
Playful, creative illustrations showcase a plucky, unlikely hero whose quest to survive will delight. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-772290-28-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simply Read Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
As Captain Awesome would say, this kid is “MI-TEE!” (Fiction. 5-8)
The town of Sunnyview got a little bit safer when 8-year-old Eugene McGillicudy moved in.
Just like his comic-book mentor, Super Dude, Eugene, aka Captain Awesome, is on a one-man mission is to save the world from supervillains, like the nefarious “Queen Stinkypants from Planet Baby.” Just as Eugene suspected, plenty of new supervillains await him at Sunnyview Elementary. Are Meredith Mooney and the mind-reading Ms. Beasley secretly working together to try and force Eugene to reveal his secret identity? Will Principal Brick Foot succeed in throwing Captain Awesome into the “Dungeon of Detention?” Fortunately, Eugene isn’t forced to go it alone. Charlie Thomas Jones, fellow comic-book lover and Super Dude fan, stands ready and willing to help. When the class hamster goes missing, Captain Awesome must don his cape and, with the help of his new best friend, ride to the rescue. Kirby’s funny and engaging third-person narration and O’Connor’s hilarious illustrations make the book easily accessible and enormously appealing, particularly to readers who have recently graduated to chapter books. But it is the quirky, mischievous Eugene that really makes this book special. His energy and humor are contagious, and his dogged commitment to his superhero alter ego is enough to make anyone a believer.
As Captain Awesome would say, this kid is “MI-TEE!” (Fiction. 5-8)Pub Date: April 3, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-4090-6
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
A cheery story that “wool” likely evoke some smiles.
A “baa”-nd of pirates gets the wool pulled over their eyes.
After a treasure-hunting foray, Captain Hoof and his crew of fleecy sheep are homeward bound with a glittery bounty—the lost Golden Shears, which once belonged to the infamous Woolly Jones. Suddenly, huge waves engulf and smash their ship. They’re sheepwrecked and stranded on Foggy Island, home to none other than Woolly Jones. After nearly a month of failed attempts to get off the island, Captain Hoof decides to return the shears to their rightful owner. Trekking across the island through fog as thick and impenetrable as wool, captain and crew eventually bump into their nemesis, who snatches the shears from the captain’s hooves. Expecting dire consequences, everyone starts to flee, but things turn out wool, er, well. In a 90-degree book turn, Woolly is depicted using the shears to give himself a much-needed “woolcut.” He’s grateful for the shears—and for the company after a long, lonely spell. Captain Hoof and crew are delighted at this outcome. This is a cute tale, though the plot is a bit thin; the numerous, amusing sheep puns will appeal more to grown-ups than kids. But the digital illustrations are comical and dynamic, and the all-ovine protagonists are lively and expressive. The book contains lots of typographical creativity, including some onomatopoeic words, incorporated into the artwork, and maps in the endpapers include islands bearing funny, aptly punny names.
A cheery story that “wool” likely evoke some smiles. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: July 9, 2024
ISBN: 9780593569665
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
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