This story of a child’s longing for a puppy, illustrated with charming, cartoon-style illustrations, aims to combine narrative with factual information for children 6 and up.
Giles (JESUS SITS in the DRIVERS SEAT, 2014, etc.) tells the story of young Thomas, the narrator, who wants a “puppy brother.” After briefly using his mother’s binoculars to see a faraway dog park, Thomas decides to build an optical instrument of his own. As he searches for materials in a closet, something hits his head, and though he completes his telescope, when he looks into it, he falls into a magical land. There, he and Princess Jade embark on a journey guided by magical creatures until they land in a dog park, and he feels his face being licked. Opening his eyes, Thomas finds himself in the hospital, recovering from a concussion. It’s his birthday, and his cousin Jade is holding his gift—the puppy brother he’s been longing for. Throughout the tale, Thomas’ mother shares world history lessons, but the integration is awkward, especially the attempt to link the Battle of Iwo Jima and binoculars. The way Thomas’ optical instrument is described—“binoculars somehow end up being a telescope that is really a kaleidoscope”—is confusing, as is the timing of his concussion. Most readers will think Thomas is hurt when he begins hallucinating, but his mother’s explanation in the hospital indicates it happened earlier. Because the narration doesn’t clearly tie Thomas’ desire for the optical instrument to his desire for the dog and because unnecessary details—such as the history of the Fresnel lens or all the components required to construct a homemade kaleidoscope—interrupt, the story’s momentum is lost. The book is poorly edited, with uncorrected errors in punctuation and sentence structure; e.g., “What is a dog park I ask?” The choice to avoid colloquial language in the dialogue, for example, the repeated use of cannot and I have instead of can’t and I’ve, makes the voices unrealistic and stilted-sounding.
As with binoculars or a telescope, inability to properly focus mars the view.
Pub Date: June 27, 2014
ISBN: 978-1495247972
Page Count: 34
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Series fans, at least, will take this outing (and clear evidence of more to come) in stride.
Zipping back and forth in time atop outsized robo–bell bottoms, mad inventor Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) legs his way to center stage in this slightly less-labored continuation of episode 9.
The action commences after a rambling recap and a warning not to laugh or smile on pain of being forced to read Sarah Plain and Tall. Pilkey first sends his peevish protagonist back a short while to save the Earth (destroyed in the previous episode), then on to various prehistoric eras in pursuit of George, Harold and the Captain. It’s all pretty much an excuse for many butt jokes, dashes of off-color humor (“Tippy pressed the button on his Freezy-Beam 4000, causing it to rise from the depths of his Robo-Pants”), a lengthy wordless comic and two tussles in “Flip-o-rama.” Still, the chase kicks off an ice age, the extinction of the dinosaurs and the Big Bang (here the Big “Ka-Bloosh!”). It ends with a harrowing glimpse of what George and Harold would become if they decided to go straight. The author also chucks in a poopy-doo-doo song with musical notation (credited to Albert P. Einstein) and plenty of ink-and-wash cartoon illustrations to crank up the ongoing frenzy.
Series fans, at least, will take this outing (and clear evidence of more to come) in stride. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-17536-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
Beautiful, remarkable, amazing, and wonderful in every way.
Hector wants to be a deep-sea diver, just like his father and grandfather.
He has internalized all his grandfather’s tales, especially the story of the “rarest, whitest, and purist pearl in the world,” said to live on the seabed offshore near the Marina, their family business. But the greedy Amedeo Limonta has set up a competitive business that’s forced the Marina to close. When Hector turns 8, everything changes. On his very first dive, he discovers the magical Pearl and brings it home…and complications ensue. Hector heeds his memories and dreams of his grandfather and courageously makes it all right. Hector narrates his adventures in meticulously organized chapters, carefully introducing each character, providing detailed information about relationships and events, and sharing credit for his successes. At the conclusion Hector presents readers with vivid descriptions of his beloved village and its inhabitants. Sabatinelli provides Hector with a voice that soars with lilting, expressive language, losing nothing in Turner’s translation from Italian. Bruno’s intensely bright, sharply hued illustrations are a tour de force. A chart of semaphore flags and diagrams that detail the parts of a diving suit fill the opening pages, and those flags head each chapter. The sea is evoked with glorious dreamlike color and movement, and characters’ features and expressions immediately announce their nature, emotions, and quirks. All present White. Hector is wise, kind, and readers will take him to their hearts.
Beautiful, remarkable, amazing, and wonderful in every way. (Adventure. 6-12)Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-63655-006-0
Page Count: 92
Publisher: Red Comet Press
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
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