A FILTH OF STARLINGS

Name: A FILTH OF STARLINGS
Author: PatrickGeorge
ISBN: 978-0-9562558-1-5

by PatrickGeorge & illustrated by PatrickGeorge ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2011

This striking book and its companion will be welcome in schools and homes where language is a focus. (Informational picture...

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Like its companion title, A Drove of Bullocks (2011), this compendium of collective nouns for 20 different animal groups is imaginatively illustrated with visual plays on the words and accompanied by short, relevant descriptions and realistic silhouettes.

Drove covers mostly mammals and insects; Filth includes birds and aquatic animals. The two titles work well as a pair. These are all genuine words, ranging from the familiar “flock of geese” (though the flocked wallpaper background may be a puzzle) to the unusual “smack of jellyfish.” The spare images are set on double-page spreads. Author-designers Peter and Ann Scott, working as PatrickGeorge, make liberal use of silhouettes and only a few intense colors per image. Some are beautiful, like the “kaleidoscope of butterflies,” and many are gently humorous, like the “pod of dolphins” wearing iPods and earbuds. The “murder of crows” carries weapons from a Clue game. The short descriptive paragraphs explain the group name. In one unfortunate lapse, the authors refer to a stingray’s venomous tail; actually, it’s only a small barb on the tail. A few Briticisms in these titles, first published in England in 2009, may puzzle American readers, but they add to the language interest.

This striking book and its companion will be welcome in schools and homes where language is a focus. (Informational picture book. 8-14)

Pub Date: June 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-9562558-1-5

Page Count: 48

Publisher: PatrickGeorge/Trafalgar

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2011

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

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JINXED

by Amy McCulloch ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2020

A solid series starter for tinkerers and adventurers alike.

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Even robot cats have a mind of their own.

All 12-year-old Canadian Lacey Chu’s ever wanted was to become a companioneer like her idol, Monica Chan, co-founder of the largest tech firm in North America, Moncha Corp., and mastermind behind the baku. Bakus, “robotic pets with all the features of a smartphone,” revolutionized society and how people interact with technology. As a companioneer, Lacey could work on bakus: designing, innovating, and building. When she receives a grant rejection from Profectus Academy of Science and Technology, a school that guarantees employment at Moncha Corp., she’s devastated. A happenstance salvaging of a mangled cat baku might just change the game. Suddenly, Lacey’s got an in with Profectus and is one step closer to her dream. Jinx, however, is not quite like the other bakus—he’s a wild cat that does things without commands. Together with Jinx, Lacey will have to navigate competitive classmates and unsettling corporate secrets. McCulloch effectively strikes a balance between worldbuilding and action. High-stakes baku battles demonstrate the emotional bond between (robotic) pet and owner. Readers will also connect to the relationships the Asian girl forges with her diverse classmates, including a rivalry with Carter (a white boy who’s the son of Moncha’s other co-founder, Eric Smith), a burgeoning crush on student Tobias, who’s black, and evolving friendships new and old. While some mysteries are solved, a cliffhanger ending raises even more for the next installment.

A solid series starter for tinkerers and adventurers alike. (Science fiction. 8-13)

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-4926-8374-2

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

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THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY

From the One and Only series , Vol. 3

by Katherine Applegate ; illustrated by Patricia Castelao ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2023

Certain to steal hearts.

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In this follow-up to 2020’s The One and Only Bob, Ruby the elephant is still living at Wildworld Zoological Park and Sanctuary.

She’s apprehensive about her Tuskday, a rite of passage for young elephants when she’ll give a speech in front of the rest of the herd. Luckily, she can confide in her Uncle Ivan, who is next door in Gorilla World, and Uncle Bob, the dog who lives nearby with human friend Julia. Ruby was born in an unspecified part of Africa, later ending up on display in the mall, where she met Ivan, Bob, and Julia. The unexpected arrival of someone from Ruby’s past life on the savanna revives memories both warmly nostalgic and deeply traumatic. An elephant glossary and Castelao’s charming, illustrated guide to elephant body language help immerse readers in Ruby’s world. Goofy, playful, and mischievous Ruby is fully dimensional, as she has shown her bravery during the many hardships of her young life. Applegate deftly tempers themes of grief and loss with compassion and humor as Ruby finds her place in the herd. The author’s note touches on climate change, the illegal ivory trade, and conservation efforts, but the highly emotive framing of the story through the memories of a bewildered baby elephant emphasizes the impact of lines such as “ ‘in Africa,’ I say softly, ‘there were bad people,’ ” without offering readers a nuanced understanding of the broader context that drives poaching.

Certain to steal hearts. (Fiction. 8-12)