A warmhearted, colorfully illustrated romp for young cat lovers.
In Swissler’s (Deliverance from Evil, 1992) brief debut for children, with illustrations by Barac, a peripatetic cat named Spunky has a series of adventures.
Spunky, a pumpkin orange cat, has a comfortable home with humans who love and take care of him, but he’s always eager to explore the world outside his home—but “when Spunky took a walk, something always happened.” He befriends a large, gentle dog named Bella, and the two meet daily to companionably roam the neighborhood. Spunky enjoys visiting other homes (until he’s doused with a bucket of water by a homeowner), he likes to climb trees (until, thinking that he’s stuck, panicked children call the fire department), and he very much enjoys when the children he lives with treat him to ice cream on their way home from school. Yet for all these adventures, which may or may not take place in one day, Bella misses the excitement while waiting patiently for Spunky to meet him at his garage. In the book’s final pages, readers learn that as Spunky grows older, his “naps grew longer and playtime with the kids grew shorter,” though his home life remains constant, as does his relationship with Bella. The cat and dog continue to share sunsets together and relish each other’s company; the destinations aren’t important, but the short journeys are. Spunky’s legendary status isn’t quite explained, although he does manage to stir up trouble wherever he roams. Though competent and mildly appealing, the watercolor illustrations don’t feel fresh or particularly modern, and the text to art ratio could be improved with more illustrations, perhaps with spreads over two pages.
A warmhearted, colorfully illustrated romp for young cat lovers.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1494796365
Page Count: 30
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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