Thompson has written a fantasy with the pacing of a suspense novel—an adventure written in poetic prose. In Dublin, Tess is being followed by the furtive, rat-like Kevin, 14, who astonishes her by saying, “I know what you do.” Tess has a secret: She can change herself into any animal, a power that she first realized when she was seven or eight; in fear of others’ discovery of her gift, she remains purposely friendless. Kevin, too, is a switcher, and their shared abilities render them unlikely companions, as he pushes her to join him in a great undertaking which is nothing less than saving the United Kingdom from a cataclysmic weather pattern that is crushing the northern climes with killing blizzards. A wise elder imparts cryptic guidance to the two as they embark on their deadly mission; other authority figures in the book are completely at sea as they struggle to cope with the strange blizzards that spell doom and the strange creatures on their radar screens: Kevin and Tess in altered states. Thus, in a satisfying manner, the two are constantly succeeding, but only by the seat of their pants, finding new reserves of ingenuity to accomplish their goal. The suspense never wavers, while integral to the story are the author’s deft observations on independence and human relationships, on death and loss, and more, in an atmospheric and authentic fantasy world. (Fiction. 12-15)
Pub Date: May 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-7868-0380-0
Page Count: 221
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1998
Miranda’s book counts the monsters gathering at a birthday party, while a simple rhyming text keeps the tally and surveys the action: “Seven starved monsters are licking the dishes./Eight blow out candles and make birthday wishes.” The counting proceeds to ten, then by tens to fifty, then gradually returns to one, which makes the monster’s mother, a purple pin-headed octopus, very happy. The book is surprisingly effective due to Powell’s artwork; the color has texture and density, as if it were poured onto the page, but the real attention-getter is the singularity of every monster attendee. They are highly individual and, therefore, eminently countable. As the numbers start crawling upward, it is both fun and a challenge to try to recognize monsters who have appeared in previous pages, or to attempt to stay focused when counting the swirling or bunched creatures. The story has glints of humor, and in combination with the illustrations is a grand addition to the counting shelf. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201835-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
Who is next in the ocean food chain? Pallotta has a surprising answer in this picture book glimpse of one curious boy. Danny, fascinated by plankton, takes his dory and rows out into the ocean, where he sees shrimp eating those plankton, fish sand eels eating shrimp, mackerel eating fish sand eels, bluefish chasing mackerel, tuna after bluefish, and killer whales after tuna. When an enormous humpbacked whale arrives on the scene, Danny’s dory tips over and he has to swim for a large rock or become—he worries’someone’s lunch. Surreal acrylic illustrations in vivid blues and red extend the story of a small boy, a small boat, and a vast ocean, in which the laws of the food chain are paramount. That the boy has been bathtub-bound during this entire imaginative foray doesn’t diminish the suspense, and the facts Pallotta presents are solidly researched. A charming fish tale about the one—the boy—that got away. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-88106-075-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
