It’s chaos on the court as the Greek Gods, still riding high after their victory over the Titans, square off against a team of mortal Heroes for a riotous, epic game of hoops. A pair of chatty announcers talk up the confrontation, introduce the teams—“He’s big. He’s strong. He’s slippery when wet. He’s the brother of Zeus. He’s the god of the sea. It’s . . . POSEIDON!”—then cover the action from tip-off to final buzzer. Except for Odysseus, a Woody Allen look-alike, the Heroes cut brawny, ruggedly handsome figures, but in O’Malley’s glossy cartoons the gods, from glowering Zeus to gap-toothed Athena, look ready to rumble. And rumble they do, to a 2,678,352-to-6 finish—but any team that can call up a flood, open a deep, deep hole in the court, or change an offending official into an animal at will is going to be hard to beat. O’Malley (Twelve Days, 2002, etc) strews infobits about ancient Greece and Greek mythology into the commentary, and caps this sidesplitting slam-dunk with an enticing list of relevant books and Web sites. The final score may be lopsided, but the game’s a winner, and every reader gets a courtside seat. (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: March 15, 2003
ISBN: 0-8027-8844-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2003
Categories: CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS
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If Pluto can’t be a planet—then what is he?
Having been a regular planet for “the better part of forever,” Pluto is understandably knocked out of orbit by his sudden exclusion. With Charon and his four other moons in tow he sets off in search of a new identity. Unfortunately, that only spins him into further gloom, as he doesn’t have a tail like his friend Halley’s comet, is too big to join Ida and the other asteroids, and feels disinclined to try to crash into Earth like meteoroids Gem and Persi. Then, just as he’s about to plunge into a black hole of despair, an encounter with a whole quartet of kindred spheroids led by Eris rocks his world…and a follow-up surprise party thrown by an apologetic Saturn (“Dwarf planet has a nice RING to it”) and the other seven former colleagues literally puts him “over the moon.” Demmer gives all the heavenly bodies big eyes (some, including the feminine Saturn, with long lashes) and, on occasion, short arms along with distinctive identifying colors or markings. Dressing the troublemaking meteoroids in do-rags and sunglasses sounds an off note. Without mentioning that the reclassification is still controversial, Wade closes with a (somewhat) straighter account of Pluto’s current official status and the reasons for it.
Make space for this clever blend of science and self-realization. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68446-004-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS
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BOOK REVIEW
A new series for emerging chapter-book readers combines the allure of baseball parks with the challenge of solving a mystery. Mike and Kate have tickets to a Red Sox game and an all-access pass to the park, courtesy of Kate's mom, a sportswriter. The pass comes in handy when it's reported that star player Big D's lucky bat has been stolen, as it allows them to help find the thief. Historical details about Fenway Park, including the secret code found on the manual scoreboard, a look at Wally the mascot and a peek into the gift shop, will keep the young baseball fan reading, even when the actual mystery of the missing bat falls a little flat. Writing mysteries for very young readers is a challenge—the puzzle has to be easy enough to solve while sustaining readers' interest. This slight adventure is more baseball-park travel pamphlet than mystery, a vehicle for providing interesting details about one of the hallowed halls of baseball. Not a homerun, but certainly a double for the young enthusiast. On deck? The Pinstripe Ghost, also out on Feb. 22, 2011. (historical notes) (Mystery. 6-9)
Pub Date: Feb. 22, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-375-86703-3
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 30, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2011
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