This humorous tale about alien shenanigans should inspire serious giggles.
Math gets a superhero makeover in this debut picture book about oval- and triangle-shaped aliens in an epic battle over pizza.
Triangularus has one purpose: “He wants to steal your cheese pizza.” But the green alien, made of triangles, has an oval-shaped nemesis. Oval Man will protect the pizza of Earth children on the orders of his wife, Ovalah, president of the planet Ovaliscious. With the help of his loyal dog, Ovaltina, Oval Man travels to Earth to prevent school pizza day from being ruined. Using his power of invisibility, Triangularus tries to steal all the pizza until Ovaltina’s sharp nose uncovers his plot. Oval Man’s quick action takes them all back into space. There’s very little in the way of conflict here—Oval Man wins easily, although Triangularus is still up to no good at the tale’s conclusion. But the plot is secondary to the math and space silliness. For example, Triangularus’ ship is the Right Rocket; the equilateral button turns him invisible; and the queen of his triangle planet is Scalene. Davis’ geometric cartoon art, with its bright colors, adds to the fun comic-book feel, and end pages help young artists create their own oval characters. The goofy use of geometry terms, specific vocabulary, and the travel of both aliens through the Milky Way and the solar system make this an excellent choice for upper elementary geometry classes, where students could explore wacky shapes.
This humorous tale about alien shenanigans should inspire serious giggles.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-57-873783-6
Page Count: 33
Publisher: Bowker
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A spectacular return to a magical world.
Following the events of Impossible Creatures (2024), a devoted Guardian teams up with a brave princess to fight her power-hungry uncle and save the Archipelago’s dragons from a strange new threat.
Jacques the dragon summons Christopher Forrester back to the Archipelago from the human world: Dragons are dying, and no one knows why. Meanwhile, on the island of Dousha, Princess Anya’s grandfather, King Halam, has been murdered, and her father accused—though she knows he’s innocent. When Christopher and Anya take refuge on the islet of Glimt, the Berserker Nighthand helps them see how their twin missions to save the dragons and free Anya’s father are connected. They work together to create an antidote for the poison that’s killing the dragons and to keep Anya and her father safe from her murderous uncle. Meanwhile, Nighthand and Irian, the part-nereid ocean scholar, pursue their own important secret mission. Divided into three parts—“Castle,” “Dragons,” and “Revenge”—and containing elements of fairy tales, fantasy, and Shakespeare, this story continues the storyline established in the series opener, yet because it introduces new characters and obstacles, it could also stand alone. Dark-blond Anya (“five feet tall and all of it claws”) is a match for white-presenting Christopher, who, though he still misses Mal, finds that “it made a difference to have someone to move through the world with again. A friend changed the feel of the universe.” Mackenzie’s delicate, otherworldly art adorns the text.
A spectacular return to a magical world. (map, bestiary) (Fantasy. 10-15)Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2025
ISBN: 9780593809907
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
PROFILES
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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