A clever and thoroughly entertaining story—with a moral, to boot.
A Brooklyn crime family of sea gulls threatens the territory of a “wiseguy” sea gull in New Jersey in Chiarella’s debut children’s book.
A great black-backed gull named Hurricane earned his name by surviving a storm. Humans took him in to tend his broken wing, and the metal band that they affixed to his leg is a constant reminder to other birds of Hurricane’s resilience. He’s the boss of the Tommies, an avian gang based in Toms River, New Jersey. Over in New York are the Bennies, led by Bruno da Boss, a large herring gull. Bruno decides that Brooklyn is too hot and stinky, so he picks the Jersey shore as an ideal spot to cool off; he also plans to settle “some stuff” with his adversary, Hurricane. A fight quickly breaks out between the two families that’s temporarily halted by the sight of Tracy and Dyna, a couple of vacationing South Philly sea gulls. A war, however, is imminent, as Bruno wants the beach—and when some of his crew get sick, he blames Hurricane. But it soon becomes clear that something else is making the gulls sick, and Hurricane figures that he can get assistance from the humans who previously helped him. Chiarella’s story, gang war notwithstanding, is lighthearted and educational. The gulls, for example, set aside their differences for the greater good, and younger readers may be inspired to research the diverse types of birds herein. Nevertheless, the dialogue is the real star: Chiarella phoneticizes the characters’ Jersey and Brooklyn lilts, as in “yooze guys” or “Jeetjet,” the latter of which requires a translation (“did ya eat yet?”). The skirmishes between the crews are never violent, and the real dangers are outside forces, from aggressive hawks to whatever’s making the gulls ill. Muccio’s cartoonish illustrations fill entire pages with details, including anthropomorphic character traits, such as Hurricane’s impressive pompadour. Sadly, it’s all over too soon, but a planned sequel with these winged characters seems feasible.
A clever and thoroughly entertaining story—with a moral, to boot.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-5372-1644-7
Page Count: 98
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Dec. 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Thought-provoking and charming.
A sophisticated robot—with the capacity to use senses of sight, hearing, and smell—is washed to shore on an island, the only robot survivor of a cargo of 500.
When otters play with her protective packaging, the robot is accidently activated. Roz, though without emotions, is intelligent and versatile. She can observe and learn in service of both her survival and her principle function: to help. Brown links these basic functions to the kind of evolution Roz undergoes as she figures out how to stay dry and intact in her wild environment—not easy, with pine cones and poop dropping from above, stormy weather, and a family of cranky bears. She learns to understand and eventually speak the language of the wild creatures (each species with its different “accent”). An accident leaves her the sole protector of a baby goose, and Roz must ask other creatures for help to shelter and feed the gosling. Roz’s growing connection with her environment is sweetly funny, reminiscent of Randall Jarrell’s The Animal Family. At every moment Roz’s actions seem plausible and logical yet surprisingly full of something like feeling. Robot hunters with guns figure into the climax of the story as the outside world intrudes. While the end to Roz’s benign and wild life is startling and violent, Brown leaves Roz and her companions—and readers—with hope.
Thought-provoking and charming. (Science fiction/fantasy. 7-11)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-38199-4
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
A solid series starter for tinkerers and adventurers alike.
Even robot cats have a mind of their own.
All 12-year-old Canadian Lacey Chu’s ever wanted was to become a companioneer like her idol, Monica Chan, co-founder of the largest tech firm in North America, Moncha Corp., and mastermind behind the baku. Bakus, “robotic pets with all the features of a smartphone,” revolutionized society and how people interact with technology. As a companioneer, Lacey could work on bakus: designing, innovating, and building. When she receives a grant rejection from Profectus Academy of Science and Technology, a school that guarantees employment at Moncha Corp., she’s devastated. A happenstance salvaging of a mangled cat baku might just change the game. Suddenly, Lacey’s got an in with Profectus and is one step closer to her dream. Jinx, however, is not quite like the other bakus—he’s a wild cat that does things without commands. Together with Jinx, Lacey will have to navigate competitive classmates and unsettling corporate secrets. McCulloch effectively strikes a balance between worldbuilding and action. High-stakes baku battles demonstrate the emotional bond between (robotic) pet and owner. Readers will also connect to the relationships the Asian girl forges with her diverse classmates, including a rivalry with Carter (a white boy who’s the son of Moncha’s other co-founder, Eric Smith), a burgeoning crush on student Tobias, who’s black, and evolving friendships new and old. While some mysteries are solved, a cliffhanger ending raises even more for the next installment.
A solid series starter for tinkerers and adventurers alike. (Science fiction. 8-13)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4926-8374-2
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019
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