by Karisa Ewinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 30, 2010
Parents looking for stories that reinforce religious teachings may find much to like, but others may not be captivated by...
Two children learn about themselves and the worlds around them—both visible and invisible—while on an adventure in the magical Land of Nede.
When 12-year-old Billy moves in to Lovett Manor after his mother goes missing and a fire burns down the building in which he was hiding, he meets Sarah, the niece of Mrs. Lovett. The pair searches for a lock that matches the key that Billy has carried with him for years and finds an agreeable padlock on the tree house in the backyard. Upon entering the tree house, they fall through its rotting floorboards of the tree house and end up not on the ground below but in another layer of reality. They have stumbled upon the invisible Land of Nede. Here they meet Trick, who teaches them what to fear—namely Prince Goth and his minions. They also encounter the royal family, who teach them about the power within themselves and how they can fight evil creatures to make their own reality more like Nede, where everyone lives within the same parameters of wealth, eats for pleasure rather than out of need, and time is no barrier. Billy, as a chosen one, is especially important in the war between the people of Nede and Prince Goth. Once they return to their families, Billy and Sarah strive to keep the lessons of Nede in their hearts and minds as they deal with people already infiltrated by Prince Goth’s army. Ewinger’s writing is clear and concise, though she often resorts to clichés in her descriptions. Also, much of the dialogue consists of long explanations that may not succeed in maintaining the interest of young readers who might suspect they are being exposed to valuable lessons. Children usually learn best when new knowledge is better shrouded in authentic characters and more intricate adventure.
Parents looking for stories that reinforce religious teachings may find much to like, but others may not be captivated by the tepid prose.Pub Date: March 30, 2010
ISBN: 978-1935529699
Page Count: 190
Publisher: Interlink
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Amy Krouse Rosenthal ; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2015
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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illustrated by James Marshall ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1988
With the same delightfully irreverent spirit that he brought to his retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood" (1987), Marshall enlivens another favorite. Although completely retold with his usual pungent wit and contemporary touches ("I don't mind if I do," says Goldilocks, as she tries out porridge, chair, and bed), Marshall retains the stories well-loved pattern, including Goldilocks escaping through the window (whereupon Baby Bear inquires, "Who was that little girl?"). The illustrations are fraught with delicious humor and detail: books that are stacked everywhere around the rather cluttered house, including some used in lieu of a missing leg for Papa Bear's chair; comically exaggerated beds—much too high at the head and the foot; and Baby Bear's wonderfully messy room, which certainly brings the story into the 20th century. Like its predecessor, perfect for several uses, from picture-book hour to beginning reading.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1988
ISBN: 0140563660
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1988
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