The prolific author of adult novels turns her hand to children’s literature with a ghostly picture-book story. Young Thomas loves to indulge in his daydreams about sailing history while at his grandmother’s in Cape Cod. One day, while scanning the beach for interesting objects, he spots what turns out to be an old belt buckle. Suddenly, an opaque boy who looks much like Thomas appears—Silas, who is from the early colonial history of Massachusetts, is the owner of the belt buckle. In this wordy story, he tells of an attempt by dishonest locals to wreck and scavenge from a ship via false lights, and how he and his friends were able to stop the attempted murder of Thomas’s ancestor Captain Hallett. Minor’s illustrations enliven the lengthy story; the effects of the ghostly figure, the sinister bad guys and the signal fires definitely help. His use of color continues to impress, as does his ability to employ unique perspectives. But the story itself is forced and awkward, and even pretty pictures can’t bring it to life. While it could be useful for teachers needing read-alouds about American history, this is not a necessary purchase. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: April 3, 2007
ISBN: 1-4169-3514-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2007
BOOK REVIEW
Freddy, an overly intelligent golden hamster, Sir William, a civilized tomcat, and Enrico and Caruso, a pair of theatrical guinea pigs, share the residence of German teacher and translator Mr. John. Freddy’s extraordinary abilities allow him to communicate via computer as he types his thoughts to Mr. John by day and writes his stories by night. Boldly posting his biography on the Internet alerts the villainous Professor Fleischkopf of his unique genius and the perilous adventure begins. Freddy must outwit his enemy, escape, and be rescued before his brain is dissected in the name of scientific experimentation. Brownjohn’s smooth translation captures the sophisticated and witty first-person narration flaunting a writer’s flair complete with dramatic, nail-biting phrases such as “I’D NEVER LOOKED INTO A COLDER MORE SINISTER PAIR OF EYES” set in a larger, boldly wacky print. The more-graphic-than-usual book design includes a few black background pages with white text to emphasize the darkness of Freddy’s plight. Cepeda’s wonderfully expressive, simple ink cartoons surround the text on almost every page, adding to the histrionics. A cliffhanger written with literary polish. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-439-53155-1
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Capturing the look, but not the inventiveness, of “Captain Underpants,” this chaotic riff features a richly redolent do-gooder who acquires two young sidekicks, reads a tale (reproduced with blurbs, title page, and all) in which a certain thinly disguised, hyper-friendly dinosaur comes to a violent end, then acts to save several local citizens from slipping pants or some other public embarrassment. Patchy execution sinks these potentially promising ideas, however. Rumble opens with a clumsily written ballad (sung, it may sound better), leaves plotlines unresolved, never reconciles Uncle Stinky’s social conscience with his apparent obliviousness to the effects of his “onions and old fish” odor, and, less focused on the characters than their Good Deeds, draws them as generic figures in confusing, overcrowded cartoon panels. Furthermore, many of those panels are oriented at right angles to the swatches of text, requiring a continual turning back and forth that makes the stories even harder to follow. Children may give this well-meaning effort a once-over, but it’s unlikely to give either their funny bones or their spirits more than a light brush. (Fiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2004
ISBN: 1-58246-120-1
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Tricycle
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2004
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