An often delightful series starter in an unusual setting, with educational moments and appealing illustrations.
A charming chapter book for young readers about four fairy friends who must work together and use special powers to save a stranded arctic fox pup.
North Everstar and her fellow fairies Lucy Dawn, Willow Brightfrost, and Charm Iceglade are recruited to join the Frost Wings, a team that aims to protect the animals of the arctic tundra. Their positions come with superpowers, bestowed upon them by the Arctic Fairy Queen, which are unique to their individual personalities. For example, Lucy receives the power of healing, due to her love of taking care of animals, and Charm receives magical mending thread, because she has a talent for crafting things. The fairies support one another, work through their emotions, and overcome obstacles as a team throughout the rescue, providing an engaging narrative with a good message for children. Their mission to save the adorable young arctic fox, Pounce, takes them out onto an ice floe in the ocean, leads to a close encounter with a polar bear, and requires them to outwit Blaze, a mean rival fairy. The simple prose is well suited for a young chapter-book audience and communicates the fairies’ emotions accessibly and authentically. Black-and-white cartoon illustrations throughout enhance the text, bringing the arctic landscape and creatures to life. Willow is portrayed as Black and Charm appears to have brown skin; North and other characters are portrayed with pale skin. One unexplained element is that although it's established that the fairies feel cold, the illustrations only depict them as wearing summery, short-sleeved clothing instead of weather-appropriate outfits. The book also includes a few pages of fun facts about arctic animals at the end, which bolsters the story’s descriptions of the environment.
An often delightful series starter in an unusual setting, with educational moments and appealing illustrations.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781960834010
Page Count: 101
Publisher: Snowdrop Books
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Lively fun with animal friends.
Has Plum’s pep deserted him?
Several animals from the Athensville Zoo are on their way to visit an elementary school. Overconfident Itch the ningbing (an Australian marsupial), unaware that zookeeper Lizzie will be doing all the talking, looks forward to “lecturing eager young minds.” Plum, the usually chipper peacock, on the other hand, is anxious—maybe the schoolchildren won’t like him or he’ll get lost. So when they arrive at the school to find the students have been sent home due to a blizzard, Plum is relieved. The animals are left in a school gym for the night until three self-important class mice free them. Itch heads for the library to meet the learned turtle, but Plum reluctantly explores with his friends. When his anxiety peaks, they reassure him, and when the mice reject Meg, another peacock, as “borrrring” and uncool, they buoy her as well before everyone comes together to save Itch, who finds himself outside and stranded in a snowdrift. Unlike Leave It to Plum (2022), this is not a mystery, and the relationship focus shifts from Lizzie to the rodents, but the pace is brisk, and sequel seekers will be pleased to revisit familiar characters (if dismayed that Itch’s longing for knowledge leads to his downfall). In Phelan’s engaging grayscale pen-and-wash illustrations, Lizzie has short curly hair; text and art cue her as Latine.
Lively fun with animal friends. (how to draw Plum) (Chapter book. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-307920-5
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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