An original, funny, and satisfying adventure.
In this children’s book, a dastardly ex-pirate gets his comeuppance from a savvy young ship captain.
The Bad Breaker Inn, standing on the rocky coast of Maine, may look impressive, but travelers who stay there often find that their possessions disappear. The innkeeper, Captain “Bad” Breaker, is rumored to be a former pirate; he certainly looks and acts the part, slipping a mickey into the drinks of any guests with something to steal. One day, an unusual new ship, decked out with rainbow-colored masts and fluffy pink sails, docks in town. Breaker wants that vessel, and he’ll use “every last crooked, no good, very bad, and underhanded tool” to get it—and is sure of success when the ship’s captain turns out to be a little blond girl. But there are no flies on Elaine Mermain and her crew. Not only do they prevail, they right a great wrong before putting out to sea again. There’s a lot to enjoy in this humorous tale, especially the descriptions of the key scoundrel. He uses a dog bone to pick his teeth, and his best friend is a skull called the “Head of Doom,” which he squeezes for luck. Faer and debut author Raven deliver exciting moments and a well-deserved fate for Breaker. (Raven is Faer’s 7-year-old daughter.) But the story also possesses a warm heart, as when Elaine shows mercy in triumph. Although the two main characters are pale-skinned, Elaine’s crew is “a motley but beautiful bunch…all sizes and colors,” with rainbow head scarves and a “fierce and furry” black cat companion. A minor problem is the tale’s inconsistent use of rhyme, which can lead to clumsy phrasing: “She and her crew were welcome every day. For free, they could always stay.” The digital illustrations by Capuyan are varied and energetic, offering many amusing details.
An original, funny, and satisfying adventure.Pub Date: Dec. 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-79607-812-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Xlibris Corp
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PERSPECTIVES
Pedestrian.
Mr. Brown can’t help with farm chores because his shoes are missing—a common occurrence in his household and likely in many readers’ as well.
Children will be delighted that the titular Mr. Brown is in fact a child. After Mr. Brown looks in his closet and sorts through his other family members’ shoes with no luck, his father and his siblings help him search the farm. Eventually—after colorful pages that enable readers to spot footwear hiding—the family gives up on their hunt, and Mr. Brown asks to be carried around for the chores. He rides on his father’s shoulders as Papa gets his work done, as seen on a double-page spread of vignettes. The resolution is more of a lesson for the adult readers than for children, a saccharine moment where father and son express their joy that the missing shoes gave them the opportunity for togetherness—with advice for other parents to appreciate those fleeting moments themselves. Though the art is bright and cheerful, taking advantage of the setting, it occasionally is misaligned with the text (for example, the text states that Mr. Brown is wearing his favorite green shirt while the illustration is of a shirt with wide stripes of white and teal blue, which could confuse readers at the point where they’re trying to figure out which family member is Mr. Brown). The family is light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Pedestrian. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5460-0389-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: WorthyKids/Ideals
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
An immersive, charming read and convincing proof again that even small bodies can house stout hearts.
Can knightly deeds bring together a feathered odd couple who are on opposite daily schedules?
Having won over a dragon (and millions of fans) in the Caldecott Honor–winning Knight Owl (2022), the fierce yet impossibly cute nocturnal, armor-clad owlet faces a new challenge—sleep deprivation—in the wake of taking on Early Bird, a trainee who rises with the sun and chatters interminably: “I made pancakes! Do you like pancakes? I love pancakes! Where’s the syrup?” It’s enough to test the patience of even the knightliest of owls, and eventually Knight Owl explodes in anger. But although Early Bird is even smaller than her mentor, she turns out to be just as determined to achieve knighthood. After he tells her to leave, she acquits herself so nobly in a climactic encounter with a pack of wolves that she earns a place at the castle. Denise proves a dab hand at depicting genuinely slinky, scary wolves as well as slipping cheerfully anachronistic newspapers and other sight gags into his realistically wrought medieval settings to underscore the tale’s tongue-in-cheek tone. Better yet, a final view of the doughty duo sitting down together to a lavish pancake breakfast/dinner at dusk ends the episode in a sweet rush of syrup and bonhomie.
An immersive, charming read and convincing proof again that even small bodies can house stout hearts. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9780316564526
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
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