Proof that a sequel can shine just as brightly.
In a race against time, young polar bear cubs travel the icy north searching for a way to rescue their land from an evil cult and save the world from a cataclysm.
Following the events of Quest of the Cubs (2017), young Jytte, Stellan, and Third travel the dangerous wild with only ancient stories and an outdated map as a guide. Chased by Roguer bears collecting cubs to sacrifice to the great Ice Clock, they attempt to find their estranged father and beg his help. Aided by wood frogs, frost spiders, and a mysterious spirit bear, the three cubs face predators, natural disasters, and their own waning beliefs. Meanwhile, their mother, Svenna, enslaved by the Mystress of the Chimes, attempts to work from within to bring down the doomsday cult and find her missing cubs. Violence is minimal, but child abuse, child sacrifice, religious cleansing, and torture are all real threats in the northern kingdom. Calm and calculating Jytte, emotional and passionate Stellan, and deep and mystical Third are all complicated heroes. Pride, depression, and guilt prove to be as difficult to defeat as the cult, but the three cubs bring humility, hope, and forgiveness as they travel. Nonstop action, overwhelming odds, and a truly evil adversary will make readers clamor for the next installment. Occasional double-page–spread art (not seen) acts as a transitional device.
Proof that a sequel can shine just as brightly. (map) (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-545-83688-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
A verdant, enchanting read let down by poorly executed diverse representation.
Old riddles provide a modern girl with a summer adventure.
Caspia Turkel would rather stay in her small Maine town than spend 11 weeks (the whole summer!) in Brooklyn, even though her parents are excited about the opportunities awaiting them. Within a hand-painted dresser in their rented apartment, Caspia finds a stack of pale-green linen envelopes, tied with a velvet ribbon. The letters inside were sent in the 1950s and ’60s to a girl named Minna from her loving sister, Rosalind, and they contain a series of riddles about plants. Even though she’s never given much thought to growing things before, Caspia dives into this scavenger hunt and learns unexpected things about what Rosalind dubbed the “Green Kingdom.” She also meets amazing people on her journeys around her urban neighborhood, which includes the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The broad range of featured plants includes many that are likely to be familiar to readers. Co-authors Hartung, who has botanical expertise, and Funke, whose original German text was translated by Anna Schmitt Funke, add magic to the mundane, collaborating to create a realistic story that nevertheless feels wonderfully fantastical. Castrillón’s delicate illustrations have an old-fashioned feel and provide marvelous atmosphere as well as effectively highlighting the various plant species. Caspia, who’s white, makes a diverse group of friends in Brooklyn, but many of their portrayals feel exoticizing and othering, marring the attempt to celebrate diversity. (This review was updated to reflect further communication from the publisher regarding the translation credit.)
A verdant, enchanting read let down by poorly executed diverse representation. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593959305
Page Count: 224
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
For the curious, the listeners, the adventurers, the caregivers, the young, and the old.
How does one entertain two baby kestrels in the middle of a West Texas dust storm? With camel stories, of course.
Like her namesake Scheherazade, elderly camel Zada has many stories to tell from her adventurous life. It’s 1910, and she has charge of Wims and Beulah, two baby kestrels whose parents have vanished in a vicious dust storm. The threesome shelter in an empty mountain lion’s cave, waiting for safety. Zada hopes to get the chicks to the safe meeting place chosen by their parents just before a dust devil snatched them away. The evocative language is spellbinding as tales from Zada’s life calm the baby birds—and capture the interest of readers as well. The fledglings learn that Zada was raised by a Turkish pasha and gifted with eight other prized racing camels to the U.S. Army in 1856, ending up in Texas (events inspired by actual history). A delight to the senses, Zada’s stories are a descriptive wonder, featuring roiling dust, howling winds, fresh figs, and cool water, bolstering the emotions shown in Rohmann’s grayscale oil paintings. Readers will revel in both the vivid stories of Zada’s past and the rich vocabulary of Texas desert life. Appelt’s voice and pacing demonstrate her fine storytelling skills. Hearts will grow fond of this wise old camel; she is a bright star.
For the curious, the listeners, the adventurers, the caregivers, the young, and the old. (glossary, author’s note, sources) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0643-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
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