A hilarious, wacky spoof on fairy-tale conventions.
Princess Florizella challenges princess stereotypes and still gets the prince—on her own terms….
Princess Florizella’s parents are unconventional royals who did not teach her the Princess Rules but let her do as she liked. As a result, “she grew up into a cheerful, noisy, bossy, happy girl.” So when she is invited to a ball by handsome Prince Bennett, along with 120 other, more conventional, princesses, she is the only one not interested in marriage but a fun party and excellent food. The prince decides she is the only one he wants, however, so he’s flabbergasted by her refusal. But they decide that they can settle for being best friends. Florizella flouts convention when she rescues Prince Bennett from a nasty tussle with a dragon only to be “prince-splained” as he expounds upon her violation of gender norms. In the second of the three interconnected stories in this work, the prince really does come to the rescue with a smart plan to make a wolf cub a more acceptable resident in the eyes of her royal parents. In the final story, Florizella and Bennett embark on a mission to rescue the Seven Kingdoms from the ravages of a destructive giant. Young readers will enjoy this validation of normal, gender-inclusive behavior. Florizella reads as White and Bennett as Black; the cheerful, charming illustrations have a classic feel and portray a diverse supporting cast.
A hilarious, wacky spoof on fairy-tale conventions. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-00-838831-7
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Harper360
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2021
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun
It’s been 42 days since the Monster Apocalypse began, and 13-year-old Jack Sullivan, a self-proclaimed “zombie-fighting, monster-slaying tornado of cool” is on a quest to find and rescue his not-so-secret crush, June Del Toro, whether she needs it, wants it, or not.
Jack cobbles together an unlikely but endearing crew, including his scientist best friend, Quint Baker; Dirk Savage, Parker Middle School’s biggest bully; and a pet monster named Rover, to help him save the damsel in distress and complete the “ULTIMATE Feat of Apocalyptic Success.” Middle-grade readers, particularly boys, will find Jack’s pitch-perfect mix of humor, bravado, and self-professed geekiness impossible to resist. His sidekicks are equally entertaining, and it doesn’t hurt that there are also plenty of oozing, drooling, sharp-toothed monsters and zombies and a host of gizmos and gadgets to hook readers and keep them cheering with every turn of the page. Holgate’s illustrations play an integral role in the novel’s success. They not only bring Brallier’s characters to life, but also add depth and detail to the story, making plain just exactly how big Rover is and giving the lie to Jack’s “killer driving.” The marriage of text and illustration serves as a perfect example of what an illustrated novel can and should be.
Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun (. (Graphic/horror hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-670-01661-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2015
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