Two cute animals teaming up means double the fun in this romping adventure.
An unlikely animal friendship blooms when lost youngsters help each other out.
Oliver—Ollie to his buddies—is a curious sea otter who loves swimming and frolicking in the waters near Washington state’s Puget Sound. Teased by his playmates for being too cautious, Ollie takes a big risk that ends in disaster when he is separated from his mom during an oil spill. Dachshund puppy Franklin is similarly curious; he runs away from his owner, Lucy, when a squirrel catches his eye. Lucy is desperate to find Franklin but is torn between helping her mom, who works at a marine lab, with the oil spill cleanup efforts and searching for her beloved dog. Meanwhile, Lucy’s mom and older brother have had a falling out, and Lucy is anxious for them to forgive one another and for her family to heal. Ollie and Franklin meet on the beach and begin the adventure of a lifetime as they team up to find their ways back home. Readers will delight in the otter and puppy antics that unfold. Information about otter behavior and abilities is woven into the storyline along with descriptions of the environmental impact of oil spills. Chapters alternate between Lucy’s, Franklin’s, and Ollie’s perspectives, keeping the story moving forward at a fast clip. Lucy and her family are presumed White.
Two cute animals teaming up means double the fun in this romping adventure. (Adventure. 7-10)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-74149-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An emotional entry point to a larger, necessary discussion on this complex and difficult subject.
The paths of four migrant children from different Central American countries cross as they enter Mexico, and together they continue their journey to the United States.
Though their reasons for undertaking the perilous journey are different, their hopes are not: They all hope for asylum in the U.S. Ten-year-old Alessandra, from Guatemala, hopes to reunite with her mother, who left four years ago. Thirteen-year-old Laura and her 7-year-old brother, Nando, from El Salvador, are going to live with relatives in the U.S. And 14-year-old Rodrigo, from Honduras, will try to join his parents in Nebraska rather than join a local gang. Along the way they encounter danger, hunger, kindness from strangers, and, most importantly, the strength of friendship with one another. Through the four children, the book provides but the barest glimpse into the reasons, hopes, and dreams of the thousands of unaccompanied minors that arrive at the U.S.–Mexico border every year. Artist Guevara has added Central American folk art–influenced details to her illustrations, giving depth to the artwork. These embellishments appear as line drawings superimposed on the watercolor scenes. The backmatter explains the reasons for the book, helping to place it within the larger context of ongoing projects at Baylor University related to the migration crisis in Central America.
An emotional entry point to a larger, necessary discussion on this complex and difficult subject. (Picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64442-008-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Six Foot Press
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
A little ruff around the edges.
A new series features puppies with magical unicorn horns.
The Cutiecorns are thrilled when they learn that they’re about to have their Enchanted Jubilee, which means they’re ready to start learning how to use their magic. Golden retriever puppy Sparkle gets an extra surprise—her parents celebrate her Jubilee by gifting her a locket that’s a precious family heirloom. As with any book for this age group, as soon as an important item is introduced it’s guaranteed to be promptly lost; poor Sparkle is robbed of it by a mysterious stranger. While investigating, the Cutiecorns overhear a scary story about a bad cat wizard, Claw—and the description fits that of Sparkle’s assailant. They venture off into the Furbidden Forest to find the cat and retrieve the locket. The narration is filled with entertaining wordplay for young pun lovers (“pawsome”; “furever”), and the concept of magical puppies is an appealingly childcentric one. The art is a mixed bag—enormous-eyed puppies with shapes that highlight the various breeds (even Claw, despite pointy claws and teeth, is adorable in a chubby way), but the vaunted horns distractingly look an awful lot like party hats. The story really goes to the dogs and falls apart in a confusing climax that relies on deus ex machina magic and an on-the-spot plan that’s perfectly coordinated without any communication among the Cutiecorns. Book 2, Purrfect Pranksters, publishes simultaneously.
A little ruff around the edges. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-54036-9
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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