Funny and relatable, with two adorable protagonists whose joint quest shows the value of embracing differences.
Two guinea pigs embark on an adventure.
Muffin loves her new hutch and her owners, twins Sophia and Jackson (who make only a brief appearance and aren’t physically described), but her stable world is rocked when she gets a roommate. Excitable, harebrained (“What came after four again?”) Ziggy chews the cage’s decorative carrot and, eager to play a game of pretend, jumps into the food dish—behavior that the straitlaced Muffin deems “unacceptable.” Soon they discover that the carrot opens onto the magical land of Piggie-Town. All the guinea pigs (referred to as Sparkle Pigs) here—Muffin and Ziggy included—are clad in different carrot costumes; Ziggy’s a disco carrot, while Muffin’s a detective carrot. Ziggy’s in hog heaven; the residents are as zany and fun-loving as she is. Muffin’s ready to go home, but when she discovers that one of the pigs is missing, she decides to solve the mystery. Eventually, she realizes that though she and Ziggy might have little in common, they can do anything with teamwork. The plot moves smartly along to an upbeat conclusion with a familiar but sweet message. The many tonal black-and-white illustrations play up the differences between the main characters. Lively, humorous writing, short chapters broken up by the art, and words of encouragement at each chapter’s end (“You’ve read TWELVE chapters! You are a super sparkly star!”) will spur readers on.
Funny and relatable, with two adorable protagonists whose joint quest shows the value of embracing differences. (Chapter book. 6-10)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063323384
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Extraordinary introductory terror, beautiful to the eye and sure to delight younger horror enthusiasts.
What terrors lurk within your mouth? Jasper Rabbit knows.
“You have stumbled your way into the unknown.” The young bunny introduced in Reynolds and Brown’s Caldecott Honor–winning picture book, Creepy Carrots (2012), takes up Rod Serling’s mantle, and the fit is perfect. Mimicking an episode of The Twilight Zone, the book follows Charlie Marmot, an average kid with a penchant for the strange and unusual. He’s pleased when his tonsils become infected; maybe once they’re out he can take them to school for show and tell! That’s when bizarre things start to happen: Noises in the night. Slimy trails on his bedroom floor. And when Charlie goes in for his surgery, he’s told that the tonsils have disappeared from his throat; clearly something sinister is afoot. Those not yet ready for Goosebumps levels of horror will find this a welcome starter pack. Reynolds has perfected the tension he employed in his Creepy Tales! series, and partner in crime Brown imbues each illustration with both humor and a delicate undercurrent of dark foreshadowing. While the fleshy pink tonsils—the sole spot of color in this black-and-white world—aren’t outrageously gross, there’s something distinctly disgusting about them. And though the book stars cute, furry woodland creatures, the spooky surprise ending is 100% otherworldly—a marvelous moment of twisted logic.
Extraordinary introductory terror, beautiful to the eye and sure to delight younger horror enthusiasts. (Early chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781665961080
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
Dizzyingly silly.
The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.
Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.
Dizzyingly silly. (Humor. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
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