An action-packed animal tale with three-dimensional characters, dynamic plotting, and a satisfying, suspenseful struggle...
Three hares and their allies must stop venomous creatures bent on conquest in this debut middle-grade fantasy adventure.
A brutal attack on benevolent eagles King Aridin and Queen Sparra—and the kidnapping of their unhatched prince for nefarious purposes—catapults the peaceful Desert Realm into war with venomous frogs, scorpions, snakes, wasps, and bats controlled by vile lizard Hillmaken. As more and more desert inhabitants—including wild pigs and coyotes—mutate into poisonous evildoers under the influence of the mysterious Venom Stone that fell “from the heavens,” Hillmaken’s army swells. The Realm’s only hope to defeat it is a trio of seemingly ordinary hares. According to ancient tortoise Honu, brothers Nick, Cade, and Sam must risk their lives to fulfill a prophecy and prevent the “Venomous Ones” from bringing all creatures under their “cold and cruel” rule. In their quest to fulfill their destiny, the young hares encounter life-threatening dangers and unexpected (and imaginatively conceived) magical aid. Their close friend Olivia the owl has her own brave role to play in the fight, involving in part Baumann’s enjoyable strategy featuring spiderwebs. Readers afraid of creepy-crawlies should be aware that there are heaps of them here, and the author doesn’t stint on gruesomeness. In Hillmaken’s subterranean lair, reeking of death and “littered with the skeletons of various creatures he had devoured,” the pulsing Venom Stone’s function is grisly indeed. Shaped by well-timed scene shifts and smartly balanced action and suspense—and complemented by Negali’s rich, painterly illustrations—Baumann’s narrative of imperiled royals, malevolent villains, ferocious battles, a magical prophecy, and Everyman heroes gives readers of all ages ample reasons to stay hooked, despite a few rough spots. (For example, at the top of a giant mesa are “torches hung near the opening” and a “hollow” that seems in the next sentence to become a “cavern.”) Although Baumann’s fantasy animal world lacks the depth of Brian Jacques’ Redwall universe and can use a bit of polish, it is still substantive.
An action-packed animal tale with three-dimensional characters, dynamic plotting, and a satisfying, suspenseful struggle between good and evil.Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5468-3595-0
Page Count: 200
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Wyatt (The Science Book for Girls, 1997, etc.) adopts an alien’s-eye-view of earthlings, comparing the human body with that of a friendly lifeform from outer space. A cartoon anatomical outline charts the alien Danoid’s first encounter with Pete. Danoid labels hands as primary manipulatives, feet as planet connectors, and knees, multidirectional movement facilitators. Earthling skin, hair, brains, bones, muscles, and organs are measured by these compare-and-contrast standards, delivering information along the way. Sifting through a flurry of text, readers will stumble upon headings marked “Science Fair Ideas,” consisting of simple, at-home experiments such as tracking one’s pulse with a dab of modeling clay or smelling foods that have strong odors. While the concept is attention-getting, and often humorous, the actual information is often overwhelmed by distracting asides, experiments, and reports filed to Danoid’s commander; this compendium may be more worthwhile for browsers than researchers. (diagrams, index) (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-55074-511-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
Novak (The Pillow War, 1998, etc.) offers another blunt picture book parable. When a blue-skinned mechanical family moves into the old Wilson place, the neighbors are dismayed. The Robobots get a hostile reception in town, too, finding locked doors and signs such as “Weirdos go home” and “No freaks” posted on stores and the school. Distressed but optimistic, the Robobots invite an angry delegation into their radically altered home; after an exhilarating ride on the motorized furniture, plus a shared meal of cheeseburgers and chocolate-covered propellers, the tension floats away on a cloud of smiles. Children may laugh at the Robobots’ animated, pop-eyed furnishings and daffy ingenuousness, but they’ll laugh harder, and with more understanding, at Sam Swope and illustrator Barry Root’s less labored take on the theme, The Araboolies of Liberty Street (1989). (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7894-2566-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
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