by Keith Moseley illustrated by Keith Moseley ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2012
Young dino-hunters, on the other hand, never had it so good.
Mr. Magoo has nothing on young George’s grandfather, who manages to miss nearly 100 dinosaurs concealed (or not) in the pictures illustrating this visit to a remote volcanic island.
In broadly brushed watercolors, Moseley depicts the two explorers (and George’s basset, Meg) taking a quick trip in a hot-air balloon and wandering through woodsy settings. Throughout, they are surrounded by dinosaurs of various recognizable but unidentified sorts that either stand in plain view or are slightly concealed within the lines of rocks, tree trunks and other natural features. An Apatosaurus, for instance, is hidden in the curving lines of a mountain range; less trickily, a flock of pterosaurs escorts them on their approach to the island. Many of the creatures are also embossed or outlined in a slightly raised plastic overlay that can be felt or spotted by tilting the page to catch shiny reflections. Though George and Meg have no trouble spotting dinosaur sign, Grandpa misses it all and makes a disappointed comment as the three visitors sail homeward.
Young dino-hunters, on the other hand, never had it so good. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4027-8894-9
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2012
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by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale ; illustrated by LeUyen Pham ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 9, 2016
While not exactly novel, it’s well-executed and very funny.
The Princess in Black’s cutest adventure yet—no, really, the monsters are deceptively cute.
While Princess Magnolia and unicorn Frimplepants are on their way to a much anticipated brunch with Princess Sneezewort, Magnolia’s monster alarm goes off, forcing an emergency costume change on her and Frimplepants to become the Princess in Black and her faithful steed, Blacky. They rush to rescue goat boy Duff, hoping to save the day in time for doughnuts. However, when they arrive, instead of monsters they see a field full of adorable bunnies. Pham’s illustrations give the bunnies wide-eyed innocence and little puffballs on the tips of their ears. Duff tries to explain that they’re menaces from Monster Land that eat everything (all the grass, a tree, a goat’s horn…), but the Princess has trouble imagining that monsters might come in such a cute package. By the time she does, there are too many to fight! Humor comes from the juxtaposed danger and adorableness. Just when the bunnies decide to eat the Princess, Blacky—who, as Frimplepants, is fluent in Cuteness—communicates that she’s not food and persuades the bunnies to return to Monster Land. While Princess Magnolia and Frimplepants are too late for brunch, Princess Sneezewort gets the consolation prize of lunch with the Princess in Black and Blacky.
While not exactly novel, it’s well-executed and very funny. (Fantasy. 5-7)Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6513-5
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015
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by Shannon Hale ; illustrated by LeUyen Pham
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by Lori Evert ; illustrated by Per Breiehagen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 4, 2018
For fans of Evert and Breiehagen’s Wish Book series.
Anja and her dog, Birki, do their best to get to a Christmas party in a frozen Nordic landscape.
Anja wishes she had a dog sled to harness Birki to in order to get to the party. The next morning, her cousin Erik appears with his dog sled and an offer to take her there. Lost in a blizzard, they encounter talking wolves who take them to a tent where they can spend the night. A baby polar bear named Tiny appears, separated from his mother. The following day takes them all on an adventure through glaciers and fjords, past an ice castle, and finally to Tiny’s mother and to the party. This digitally produced book is illustrated with photographs that capture the Nordic setting. Unfortunately, the overall effect is weirdly flat, with elements awkwardly set together in images that lack depth. A polar bear perches awkwardly on top of oddly scaled pack ice; Anja and Erik spend a night in the ice castle in niches chiseled into the wall, but they seem oddly disconnected from it. The book has an old-fashioned, European feel; the white, blond children’s red caps and traditional clothing stand out against the dim, bluish winter light. But the wooden, overlong text does little to cultivate the magical fantasy feeling that it’s aiming for.
For fans of Evert and Breiehagen’s Wish Book series. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6566-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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