An enchanting new adventure.
A moth has a danger-filled vision of the future. Will anyone believe him?
Catclaw has always felt alone. Orphaned and mocked by his peers for being dreamy and unreliable, the young mothling looks to his clan leader for comfort and support. Master Saturna’s stories about their history enthrall him: the way the Warmwind triggered creatures to evolve in mysterious ways; the origins of the five uniquely gifted moth clans; the terrifying emergence of predators like the Bluetails, mutated, murderous wasps; the rise of Queen Adeia, who banished the Bluetails; and the betrayal and exile of the Dreamkins, Catclaw’s clan, after their leader attempted to overthrow the Queen. The Dreamkins lost their name and community—and their ability to prophesy. Still, Catclaw holds onto the hope that their visions will return, the clan will be forgiven, and he’ll finally have a place to belong. When the first visions in a generation come to Catclaw, however, it isn’t the joyous occasion he imagined. They’re full of darkness and loss—and the return of the Bluetails. Can Catclaw warn the other moths and convince the Queen to forgive the Dreamkins before it’s too late? Catclaw’s journey is full of vibrant, captivating worldbuilding, while his battles and the scenes of peril feature age-appropriate body horror, genuine scares, and inventive reveals. In magnifying the insect world and elevating the humble moth, this series opener takes young readers on a heroic epic that’s sure to thrill.
An enchanting new adventure. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781665982085
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.
Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.
Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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