A fun and silly addition to titles about mechanics, helping others, and animal adventures.
A debut picture book from author/illustrator Howe about a bright blue lobster that would give Wreck-It Ralph’s Fix-It Felix Jr. a run for his money.
Handy Howie is a lobster mechanic who affixes tools to his tail in order to fix the cars of other animals in the area. His first job of the day comes when Grandma Pig Laura’s vehicle springs an oil leak; Howie fixes it, and she pays him in muffins. Later, two turkey construction workers have trouble with their dump truck when the back of it comes loose, an artist iguana has a flat tire, and vacationing Mr. Deer’s headlight goes out. Howie fixes everything in time to snuggle with his lobster children at bedtime. Howe’s rhymes are packed with humor, and the book should have lap readers and newly independent readers alike giggling about the crustacean mechanic’s antics. The author doesn’t seem to have rules about which of her fictional animals wear clothing, as some are fully dressed, and Howie only wears eight yellow boots—but the kid-friendly cartoon style will likely keep young readers from questioning this stylistic choice. They may also appreciate the realistic drawings of Howie’s tools and how his tail looks like it’s on fire when he’s welding.
A fun and silly addition to titles about mechanics, helping others, and animal adventures.Pub Date: Jan. 9, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-388-08065-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Blurb
Review Posted Online: Feb. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Roman charms with an imaginative, whimsical picture book that will entertain even the oldest pirates.
Debut author Roman pens a picture book about an imaginative boy who transforms his bed and stuffed animals into props for a marvelous pirate adventure.
Roman draws the reader in from the first page with illustrations that are cheerful and clever. The story showcases a young pirate and his menagerie: cousin Hallie, a first mate who sports a purple bandanna and ruffled pirate shirt; Linus, the loudmouthed but scaredy-cat lion with a braided goatee; Fribbet, the floppy frog with an audacious red pirate hat; and Mongo, the mast-climbing monkey who charms with an eye patch and endearingly oversized lips. Roman deftly creates an appealing visual experience with engaging, bright illustrations that will appeal to young readers. The characters are rich with animated expressions and personalities that showcase the creative and warmhearted ways the characters have fun. Well-drafted secondary characters also include the “mermaid” who appears with a plate of golden doubloons (in the form of cookies) and orders the pirate not to get crumbs on the bed when eating them. The text has a lovely intonation when read aloud, and the simple, understandable story also carries a more complex, clever subtext that will allow for educational discussions. The captain’s constant good-natured lament that “being a captain is hard work”—as he watches his crew do all the actual labor—is hilarious and a pleasant opportunity to teach children about the nuances of words and their layers of meaning. The author’s adept use of genuine pirate terms—“swab the decks,” “pump the bilges” and “me hearties”—adds flavor and authenticity to the story, too. The captain and his crew sit down with a dictionary to figure out what “shiver me timbers” means, and then they take great delight upon using the phrase correctly; children will, too.
Roman charms with an imaginative, whimsical picture book that will entertain even the oldest pirates.Pub Date: April 12, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615534657
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Michael/Okon
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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PERSPECTIVES
An entertainingly silly sequel that improves upon its predecessor.
Loogie, a prankster genie, returns in this amusing second installment in Castle’s children’s book series.
Charlie, a modern grade schooler, and Loogie, a medieval prince cursed to be a magical genie until he does enough good deeds, have both come to terms with Loogie living in Charlie’s nose. But when Charlie gets a bad cold, a sneeze causes Charlie’s best friends, Katie and Tom, to find out his secret. Although this initially means great fun—Loogie turns Charlie into a dragon for Katie to ride—things start going wrong when Loogie catches Charlie’s cold. The sniffles go straight to Loogie’s ears, and he starts mishearing things: “blizzard” instead of “wizard” and, later, “magical creatures” instead of “magical ingredients.” The resulting creature invasion can’t be banished until Loogie gets well—unless the three kids call upon evil genie Tildor, who claims Tom as his new master. Tildor always has a trick up his sleeve, but his part in the story is left unresolved—presumably until the next installment. Castle’s second book is tighter than the first, as Charlie’s friends help keep his secret. Herholz and Castle’s illustrations are again engaging, reminiscent of Quentin Blake’s pictures for Roald Dahl’s classics. The gross-out humor remains constant, and readers who are entertained when snot flies will enjoy the difficulties caused by the cold: “Charlie held up his hands to block [Loogie’s] sneezes. Too late—he was already covered with spittle. ‘Gross! You sneezed all over me!’ ” The author continues to use an accessible vocabulary with a lightweight, fast-moving plot sure to engage reluctant readers, particularly boys who have outgrown Captain Underpants.
An entertainingly silly sequel that improves upon its predecessor.Pub Date: March 19, 2013
ISBN: 978-1480219700
Page Count: 104
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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