by Nancy Deas ; illustrated by Mike Deas ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2019
Underlying messages of environmentalism, friendship, and home make this magical mystery a win.
Moon Creatures, missteps, and mayhem lead a young boy to find a place to call home in this new graphic-novel series.
Since his parents’ deaths, Ollie has been shuffled among various family members and is now sent to live with his elderly grandfather in the small, fictional town of Sueño Bay, “Home of the Supernatural,” on Robertson Island off the coast of British Columbia. Unhappy with this remote life, he plots leaving the boring town to go back to the mainland. The day before he plans to make his escape, a few of his new classmates pull him into an adventure in which they encounter the Moon Creatures, horned, raccoonlike mammals that are endangered due to environmental factors. In trying to save the sometimes-adorable, sometimes-terrifying creatures, they embark on a perilous journey. Ultimately the story leads to a satisfying ending for all, with Ollie finding a sense of home. Inspired choices in paneling and use of line keep the eyes moving, propelling the story forward while still bringing readers into the fully realized rainy and rural Pacific Northwest setting. Ollie has pink skin and black hair; side characters are interesting and full of personality and have varying racial presentations. There is a refreshing, realistic economic diversity shown, with characters living in houses, trailers, and refurbished school buses.
Underlying messages of environmentalism, friendship, and home make this magical mystery a win. (Graphic fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-14598-1961-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
by Susan Musgrave ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 15, 1999
The dream phantasms of a high-spirited narrator intersect, even crowd, reality, but the stream-of-consciousness text makes for a rambling, radically personal tale. Playful images of a stuffed lion, trampoline, purple shoes, and a cat named Pine-Cone take hold in a young girl’s imagination, despite her “old” mother who makes her go to bed when she’d rather “stay up early” and a big sister with a cranky disposition. At home, she likes counting flea bites and pretending to be a worm, but is afraid of the dark and going to Grade One. The second half of the book takes off in a separate first-day-of school direction. Wild dreams precede the big day, which includes bullies on the playground and instant friend Chelsea. The childlike articulations of the text are endearing, but not quite of universal interest, and don’t add up to a compelling story; children may more readily warm to Gay’s illustrations, which include a dreamlike flying cat, a menacing hot dog, and an uproarious stuffed toy looming over everyday domestic scenes. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 15, 1999
ISBN: 1-55143-107-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1999
Share your opinion of this book
More by Susan Musgrave
BOOK REVIEW
by Susan Musgrave ; illustrated by Marilyn Faucher
BOOK REVIEW
by Susan Musgrave ; illustrated by Esperança Melo
BOOK REVIEW
by Susan Musgrave ; illustrated by Esperança Melo
by John Nickle & illustrated by John Nickle ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2001
Nickle (Ant Bully, 1999, etc.) doesn’t play fair in this amusing but disorienting escapade. Young Rex used to help his inventor grandpa make and fix things, but now that Grandpa’s “gone,” he just sits and watches TV all the time. When the TV breaks down, Rex crawls inside to cry. Suddenly, he’s swimming in the ocean, a guest on his favorite show, “Deep Sea Hunt.” Then, with the help of a very special remote, he’s tumbling from channel to channel, chasing bad guys on the “Harly Hog Cartoon Hour,” wiping out Vladimir Nokyerblokov on “Wild World Wrestling,” pitching a baseball here and a weather forecast there. Just as he’s about to be eaten by a robot on “Doctor Bleep in Outer Space,” he feels a hand on his shoulder. It’s Grandpa, not dead as readers have been carefully led to believe, but just away on a long Florida vacation. Though some of the shows Rex visits look modern, “Doctor Bleep” is in black and white—which, with the array of old-style TV sets that Rex watches, give the illustrations a retro flavor. Readers thrown off balance by the climactic twist may prefer more predictable ventures into the boob tube, such as Marc Brown’s Bionic Bunny Show (1986) or Matt Novak’s Mouse TV (1994). (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-439-12043-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2000
Share your opinion of this book
More by David Levinthal
BOOK REVIEW
by David Levinthal & illustrated by John Nickle
BOOK REVIEW
by Stacy DeKeyser & illustrated by John Nickle
BOOK REVIEW
retold by Kate Coombs & illustrated by John Nickle
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.