A charming and simply told story with a clear message.
An illustrated children’s tale of one cat’s adventure in the big city and the lessons she learned along the way.
Bunny, a feline, lives a charmed life in a posh Manhattan apartment alongside her owners—a nice couple who adopted her from the local animal shelter. Bunny soon makes friends with Mike the Mouse, who decides to make the hole that he’s nibbled in a closet wall big enough for Bunny to slip through—and their adventures begin. But soon Bunny sees a photo caption in a copy of the New York Times that really disturbs her: “Central Park carriage horse ‘Joe,’ one of several allegedly mistreated by its driver.” Bunny doesn’t know what alleged means, but the rest of the sentence is clear enough, so she decides to help Joe escape his situation. With the help of Mike the Mouse, Polly the Pigeon, and various other friends she meets along the way, Bunny finally gets to Central Park to make her daring rescue. Over the course of Bloom’s book, Bunny embodies the idea that small creatures can do great things; for example, when Joe the Carriage Horse expresses disbelief that Bunny can help him, the plucky cat reminds him that she’s “a tiny thing who’s very determined.” Young readers will likely find that determination to be contagious, and it may appeal to even the tiniest animal lovers. The book’s simple prose and Mayell’s eye-catching ink-and-watercolor illustrations make the most out of a minimalist color palette; Bunny’s dark black fur and bright green eyes are prominent as the most richly drawn images in every blue-tinged picture.
A charming and simply told story with a clear message.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9780997642537
Page Count: 74
Publisher: Positivity Publishing LLC
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s a little labored, but poop jokes never get old, right? (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 7-9)
Early Bird’s underachieving little brother finally gets a taste of worm in this daft series opener.
Too proud to accept any worm he hasn’t caught or at least earned himself but unable, despite repeated efforts, to beat his annoyingly zippy sibling out of the nest in the morning, Tweety Pie–look-alike Speed Bump (related only in name to the author’s syndicated cartoon) at last nerves himself to take a scary pre-dawn stroll—and comes upon a veritable convention of angry Nightcrawlers setting a trap for Early. Coverly sets up and presents the outing in a mix of prose and pen-and-ink sketches, with the pictures tending to shoulder out the text. Both, however, are liberally festooned with gags, sight gags, potty humor, and puns: “They hatched plans, but got eggsasperated because they knew none of them would work, and this was no yolking matter.” Speed Bump is assisted by avian sidekick Slingshot, who is first met gleefully shooting an unwary squirrel in the “derrière” with a berry. He also enlists unlikely new buds Soda Pop the mouse and Hoover the owl to help spring the trap (prematurely). Unfortunately, his squirmy reward leaves him scurrying off in search of vegetarian fare (“CHEESABLE MERCY! WORMS ARE DISGUSTING!”) and further misadventures.
It’s a little labored, but poop jokes never get old, right? (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 7-9)Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8886-1
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More empty calories than full-bodied treat.
Does ninja cat Timmy have what it takes to save the city’s children?
In a steampunk-y town peopled by humans and anthropomorphic animals, orphan cat Timmy and his ragtag group of animal friends find their newest invention stolen by the mean Gribbles, a gang of warthog cousins. Timmy’s about to give up when he meets magical human toymaker Alfred, who gifts Timmy and his friends with everything they need to become ninja crime fighters. With the help of a kitty girl pilot named Flores, the friends uncover the evil plot of the Blue Rabbit, an early creation of Alfred’s that’s turned bad. He’s stealing the laughter of children all over town in hopes of making himself a soul. When Flores is kidnapped, the animal friends spring into action to save the day. Swedish-American artist and designer Tamm’s painterly, full-color illustrations are eye-catching if a bit stiff, though Flores’ exaggerated eyelashes are disappointingly stereotypical. And unfortunately, his prose is twee, clumsy, and full of clichés. In this haphazard tale, underdeveloped characters are given the tools they need to succeed, but they aren’t given the chance thanks to deus ex toymaker. Fortunately, the type is big, the pages are thick, and the illustrations are many, so the book may well draw readers.
More empty calories than full-bodied treat. (Fantasy. 7-9)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-74451-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2015
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