Mouse fantasy fans will cheer brave-hearted Hopper’s latest adventure.
In this sequel to Mouseheart (2014), warrior mouse Hopper finds himself on the streets of Brooklyn, where he discovers new allies for his efforts to bring peace to the rodents of the subway tunnels.
Although he’s the Chosen One of the Mus, Hopper believes his destiny lies with the rat colony, Atlantia, and Prince Zucker. Following a battle to depose the despot Titus, Atlantia’s a ruined city. To protect its starving citizens from feral cat attacks while the city’s being rebuilt, Hopper hopes the Mus colony, ruled by his bellicose sister Pinkie, will offer temporary sanctuary. When Pinkie refuses to cooperate, Atlantia’s attacked by human exterminators. With Zucker presumed dead, Hopper’s accidentally carried aboveground and rescued by a likable cat named Ace, who eventually convinces him to return to Atlantia and find his younger brother Pup. Joined by feisty new friends, Hopper finds rats rebuilding Atlantia and launches an attack on the feral cats. Unexpectedly reunited with a stranger from their past, Hopper and Pinkie prepare to confront the now-embittered, estranged Pup. Harrowing plot twists, moral dilemmas and colorful animal characters make this second volume as supercharged and thought-provoking as the first. Atmospheric illustrations add drama.
Mouse fantasy fans will cheer brave-hearted Hopper’s latest adventure. (Animal fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: March 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4814-2089-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new...
How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage.
Living in a "domain" of glass, metal and cement at the Big Top Mall, Ivan sometimes forgets whether to act like a gorilla or a human—except Ivan does not think much of humans. He describes their behavior as frantic, whereas he is a peaceful artist. Fittingly, Ivan narrates his tale in short, image-rich sentences and acute, sometimes humorous, observations that are all the more heartbreaking for their simple delivery. His sorrow is palpable, but he stoically endures the cruelty of humans until Ruby the baby elephant is abused. In a pivotal scene, Ivan finally admits his domain is a cage, and rather than let Ruby live and die in grim circumstances, he promises to save her. In order to express his plea in a painting, Ivan must bravely face buried memories of the lush jungle, his family and their brutal murder, which is recounted in a brief, powerful chapter sure to arouse readers’ passions. In a compelling ending, the more challenging question Applegate poses is whether or not Ivan will remember what it was like to be a gorilla. Spot art captures poignant moments throughout.
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new generation of advocates. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-199225-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Certain to steal hearts.
In this follow-up to 2020’s The One and Only Bob, Ruby the elephant is still living at Wildworld Zoological Park and Sanctuary.
She’s apprehensive about her Tuskday, a rite of passage for young elephants when she’ll give a speech in front of the rest of the herd. Luckily, she can confide in her Uncle Ivan, who is next door in Gorilla World, and Uncle Bob, the dog who lives nearby with human friend Julia. Ruby was born in an unspecified part of Africa, later ending up on display in the mall, where she met Ivan, Bob, and Julia. The unexpected arrival of someone from Ruby’s past life on the savanna revives memories both warmly nostalgic and deeply traumatic. An elephant glossary and Castelao’s charming, illustrated guide to elephant body language help immerse readers in Ruby’s world. Goofy, playful, and mischievous Ruby is fully dimensional, as she has shown her bravery during the many hardships of her young life. Applegate deftly tempers themes of grief and loss with compassion and humor as Ruby finds her place in the herd. The author’s note touches on climate change, the illegal ivory trade, and conservation efforts, but the highly emotive framing of the story through the memories of a bewildered baby elephant emphasizes the impact of lines such as “ ‘in Africa,’ I say softly, ‘there were bad people,’ ” without offering readers a nuanced understanding of the broader context that drives poaching.
Certain to steal hearts. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780063080089
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
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