In comparison with other fanciful journeys, this has moderate appeal, mostly due to the interesting illustrations.
This Dutch-to-English translation relates a tale of a lonesome girl who fantasizes a journey into the sea and the sky.
When your only best friend is your black cat, Amadeus, life is lonely. Narrating in the present tense, Cleo packs her things and sails off with Amadeus toward the horizon, where she sees a spectacular show every day. At nighttime, an unnamed boy appears and then sails with her to the mermaid caves, where they dance and celebrate. Sailing on, they face fierce storms and sea monsters, prevailing because they are “incredibly brave!” When they are tired after telling stories, they nap on a “heavenly bed” where the clouds “taste like whipped cream.” The adventure (or is it a daydream?) ends with Cleo and the boy sitting on a bench in a (seemingly mundane) schoolyard. The illustrations are smudgily quirky, with an appropriately mystical effect. Cleo is depicted as a blonde, white girl in a yellow dress, with large, black-framed, circular glasses dominating her face; her black-haired companion is similarly pale. In a clever touch, Amadeus appears throughout (except for the last spread). Capitalized display type emphasizes key words. Though the story is not without Peter Pan–ish charm, the shift from imaginary to real is abrupt, even puzzling.
In comparison with other fanciful journeys, this has moderate appeal, mostly due to the interesting illustrations. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-60537-263-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
Totes adorbs.
A cuddly, squishy pug’s puggy-wuggy diary.
Equipped with both #pugunicorn and #pughotdog outfits, pug Baron von Bubbles (aka Bub) is the kind of dog that always dresses to impress. Bub also makes lots of memorable faces, such as the “Hey, you’re not the boss of me!” expression aimed at Duchess, the snooty pink house cat. Some of Bub’s favorite things include skateboarding, a favorite teddy, and eating peanut butter. Bub also loves Bella, who adopted Bub from a fair—it was “love at first sniff.” Together, Bub and Bella do a lot of arts and crafts. Their latest project: entering Bella’s school’s inventor challenge by making a super-duper awesome rocket. But, when the pesky neighborhood squirrel, Nutz, makes off with Bub’s bear, Bub accidentally ruins their project. How will they win the contest? More importantly, how will Bella ever forgive him? May’s cutesy, full-color cartoon art sets the tone for this pug-tastic romp for the new-to–chapter-books crowd. Emojilike faces accentuate Bub’s already expressive character design. Bub’s infectious first-person narration pushes the silly factor off the charts. In addition to creating the look and feel of a diary, the lined paper helps readers follow the eight-chapter story. Most pages have fewer than five sentences, often broken into smaller sections. Additional text appears in color-coded speech bubbles. Bella presents white.
Totes adorbs. (Fiction. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-53003-2
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
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