An exciting story for animal lovers about courage, resilience, and working together.
A young Protector cat faces a tough challenge when an evil rat threatens her building in this novel for middle-grade readers.
Chief is one tough cat. As a Protector, he descends from the cats of ancient Egypt, with special skills to ward off evil, safeguard humans, and kill vermin. He’s a trusted partner to Sam, 37, a maintenance man in a Bronx motel. The team impresses the building’s owner, who gives them a big promotion to an uptown high-rise complex where Chief makes lots of new friends, including other buildings’ cats and some alley cats. None are Protectors, but they do look after their territories, and the local rats know their place—the sewers. When Chief meets the lovely Persian Ms. Charlene, they soon have a litter of kittens. Most find homes, but they get to keep the black-and-white runt, called Mouse. Despite her small size and fluffiness, Mouse shows her father’s aptitude for safeguarding the neighborhood, and Pops trains her as a Junior Protector. But Bragar, a rat made evil and crazy by cruel scientists, escapes and decides to take over the apartment complex. When Chief is taken out, Mouse must fulfill her calling as a Protector and battle Bragar and his minions—but she’ll need to forge an unlikely alliance that includes pigeons, a canary, a fancy mouse, and rats who know the value of respect. (Sensitive readers, no cats are permanently harmed, and the book doesn’t dwell on their injuries.) DeGrado (The 13th Month, 2015, etc.) gives his good-versus-evil story some thought-provoking undertones, such as concern for the environment (“green” cats versus harmful poisons); Bragar’s radicalization isn’t unlike that of a marginalized jihadi. The animal world of this novel feels as well-rounded, varied, and rich as any human community. But despite its seriousness, the novel is also charming, fun, and entertaining. Its many wonderful songs (alley cats sing the blues, for example) absolutely beg for transformation into an animated movie. The satisfying ending will have readers cheering out loud—and waiting hopefully for the next book in this series.
An exciting story for animal lovers about courage, resilience, and working together.Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4917-8812-7
Page Count: 252
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
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BOOK REVIEW
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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