A fun and lighthearted read with familiar characters.
Rapunzel and Eugene return with a new adventure filled with friendship, mystery, and teachable moments.
The story takes place soon after the movie Tangled left off. Rapunzel struggles with her new relationship with her parents as well as how she fits in as one of Corona’s royal family. One of Rapunzel’s first responsibilities, assigned by her mother, is to choose a lady-in-waiting. The captain of the guard’s daughter, Cassandra, catches her eye since she, too, does not quite seem to fit into this world. One day, while in the library, Rapunzel comes across a small book of poems, dusty and long forgotten. She and Cassandra realize the title poem, “The Lost Lagoon,” describes a real place that may hold the secret power of Corona. The young women try to find the secret and soon learn they are in a race against an unknown competitor. As revealed in chapters that alternate narration between Rapunzel and Cassandra, the two white girls struggle with their friendship, with their parents, and with their destinies. Young Disney fans will enjoy learning more about Corona and following along on Rapunzel’s adventures. Howland has created strong female characters who can take care of themselves. For those who watch Tangled: The Series there is only one incident in the book that occurs in the TV show; the rest is entirely original to this story.
A fun and lighthearted read with familiar characters. (Fantasy. 7-12)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4847-8723-6
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Disney Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Impossible to resist.
Rubin returns with six new tales—all featuring the same title—to tickle the funny bone.
An Iowa boy discovers an ancient curse while visiting his older sister on an island in northeastern Canada. A young girl from a family of circus trapeze artists lacks coordination but finds her role assisting a human cannonball. Two practical jokers have their sights set on pulling off the biggest prank the universe has ever seen. A guest in a New York hotel mysteriously and spontaneously combusts. Siblings make the best of things on a deserted island in the wake of the end of the world. Rubin, a humorist with a flair for explosive prose and side-splitting gags, is in good form here: All the stories boast laughs, smart characterization, clever plotting, and explosive incidents. The collection’s opener kicks things off in style, but the pinnacle is the fifth, “The Human Kaboom (the one with the cursed pirate treasure).” A seventh entry, entitled “The Human Kaboom: (the one that hasn’t been written yet),” is in fact a plea for readers to create their own incendiary tale and send it to Rubin. The gags are plentiful, the action is exciting, and the variety is commendable. Each story is illustrated by a different artist, featuring artwork from Marta Altés, Adam de Souza, Daniel Gray-Barnett, Rodolfo Montalvo, Daniel Salmieri, and Gracey Zhang (final art not seen). Most characters read White.
Impossible to resist. (popcorn recipe) (Humor. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-46239-3
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A little ruff around the edges.
A new series features puppies with magical unicorn horns.
The Cutiecorns are thrilled when they learn that they’re about to have their Enchanted Jubilee, which means they’re ready to start learning how to use their magic. Golden retriever puppy Sparkle gets an extra surprise—her parents celebrate her Jubilee by gifting her a locket that’s a precious family heirloom. As with any book for this age group, as soon as an important item is introduced it’s guaranteed to be promptly lost; poor Sparkle is robbed of it by a mysterious stranger. While investigating, the Cutiecorns overhear a scary story about a bad cat wizard, Claw—and the description fits that of Sparkle’s assailant. They venture off into the Furbidden Forest to find the cat and retrieve the locket. The narration is filled with entertaining wordplay for young pun lovers (“pawsome”; “furever”), and the concept of magical puppies is an appealingly childcentric one. The art is a mixed bag—enormous-eyed puppies with shapes that highlight the various breeds (even Claw, despite pointy claws and teeth, is adorable in a chubby way), but the vaunted horns distractingly look an awful lot like party hats. The story really goes to the dogs and falls apart in a confusing climax that relies on deus ex machina magic and an on-the-spot plan that’s perfectly coordinated without any communication among the Cutiecorns. Book 2, Purrfect Pranksters, publishes simultaneously.
A little ruff around the edges. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-54036-9
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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