Another first-rate yarn starring an intrepid rodent crew.
A group of daring mice take on a spooky new challenge.
One chilly autumn night, Fledermaus proposes telling fireside ghost stories, even as timid Pedro—the team newcomer—worries about the possibility of nightmares. Nevertheless, Millie recounts the story of the Ghostly Galleon, a pirate ship that sank years ago yet is rumored to still haunt the seas. Fledermaus and Pedro begin sniffing around nearby Bramble Isle, where locals have seen the ship nearly every night. They meet Farmer Wheatley, who warns them to stay away from the bay, lest they encounter the ghosts. The pair offer to help him with his harvest; tasked with bringing back a single blackberry, Pedro and Fledermaus eventually find themselves right by the haunted bay. Of course, they spy the ghostly ship, crewed by white-sheeted figures, and adventure ensues as Pedro and Fledermaus, joined by the rest of their friends, don sheets of their own and attempt to infiltrate the ghostly crew. Readers will be tickled to see Pedro and Fledermaus swapping roles over the course of the narrative: Pedro shakes off his anxiety and rises to the occasion while Fledermaus cowers. A speedy pace, well-differentiated characters, frequent illustrations that complement the text, and an unexpected, satisfying ending that speaks to the power of community will keep interest high and pages turning.
Another first-rate yarn starring an intrepid rodent crew. (Chapter book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 1, 2026
ISBN: 9781684648498
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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