A dreamy, imaginative, and vibrant story full of heart and wordplay.
A story about the power of teamwork, dedication, and how dreams come to be.
Ten-year-old Luna Grande lives with her fathers, Dad and Papa, and Murph, the dog she adores. Each night she has vivid dreams that are brought to life by the Dreamatics, a theater troupe at the Lunarian Grand. There are incredible actors, the Unseen Playwright, the Forty Winks Orchestra, costume designer Tuck, and more—all working together to perform Luna’s dreams. They are a happy ensemble who delight in what they do and who love Luna and her family. But one day, when tragedy strikes in Luna’s waking world, her dreams are replaced by nightmares, and the Dreamatics are supplanted by Coco and the Bad Dreams. However, humble stagehand Dormir is determined to save the theater and give Luna her dreams back. This witty, magical, and touching tale will inspire giggles of delight, appreciation of the inner workings of a theater troupe, and wonder at the behind-the-scenes process of dream-making. At its core, this is a story of dedication, loyalty, love, and friendship that takes readers on a roller coaster of emotions and leaves them feeling warm and fuzzy: “Life is not a dress rehearsal….The curtains are up and you are on, so get out there and give it your best shot.” Papa is cued Latine; Dad and Luna are racially ambiguous.
A dreamy, imaginative, and vibrant story full of heart and wordplay. (cast list) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780593532225
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Rocky Pond Books/Penguin
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often...
A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.
Young Fern Arable pleads for the life of runt piglet Wilbur and gets her father to sell him to a neighbor, Mr. Zuckerman. Daily, Fern visits the Zuckermans to sit and muse with Wilbur and with the clever pen spider Charlotte, who befriends him when he is lonely and downcast. At the news of Wilbur's forthcoming slaughter, campaigning Charlotte, to the astonishment of people for miles around, spins words in her web. "Some Pig" comes first. Then "Terrific"—then "Radiant". The last word, when Wilbur is about to win a show prize and Charlotte is about to die from building her egg sac, is "Humble". And as the wonderful Charlotte does die, the sadness is tempered by the promise of more spiders next spring.
The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often informative as amusing, and the whole tenor of appealing wit and pathos will make fine entertainment for reading aloud, too.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1952
ISBN: 978-0-06-026385-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1952
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and...
Catrina narrates the story of her mixed-race (Latino/white) family’s move from Southern California to Bahía de la Luna on the Northern California coast.
Dad has a new job, but it’s little sister Maya’s lungs that motivate the move: she has had cystic fibrosis since birth—a degenerative breathing condition. Despite her health, Maya loves adventure, even if her lungs suffer for it and even when Cat must follow to keep her safe. When Carlos, a tall, brown, and handsome teen Ghost Tour guide introduces the sisters to the Bahía ghosts—most of whom were Spanish-speaking Mexicans when alive—they fascinate Maya and she them, but the terrified Cat wants only to get herself and Maya back to safety. When the ghost adventure leads to Maya’s hospitalization, Cat blames both herself and Carlos, which makes seeing him at school difficult. As Cat awakens to the meaning of Halloween and Day of the Dead in this strange new home, she comes to understand the importance of the ghosts both to herself and to Maya. Telgemeier neatly balances enough issues that a lesser artist would split them into separate stories and delivers as much delight textually as visually. The backmatter includes snippets from Telgemeier’s sketchbook and a photo of her in Día makeup.
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and unable to put down this compelling tale. (Graphic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-54061-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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