Small of stature but brimming with brains, the trickster rabbit Lapin gets in and out of trouble faster than a Louisiana governor. Doucet (Why Lapin’s Ears Are Too Long, 1997, etc.) is known for her meticulous researching of these stories in her adopted homeland in Cajun Country, and her retelling leaves nothing to be desired. She respects the tenor and tone of the real Cajun culture. They are as full of mischievous fun and as spicy as a crawfish boil at a Fais-Do-Do. The three stories included are real Cajun derivatives of the original West African stories. They involve the rivalry between Compère Lapin and the somewhat shortsighted Compère Bouki. The bigger Bouki, it seems, comes out on the short end every time, as lazy Lapin cons him for half his crops and most of his rum cake, his mule and wagon, and the water from his well. Bouki almost turns the tables in the variation of the classic tar baby story, but Lapin returns to his roots—or rather briars—to win in the end. Southern prodigal son Cook’s illustrations cast the right shade, or rather lack of it. His energetic illustrations use a steamy bright golden cast, which suggests the summer in Cajun country better than a bite of capsicum. The text and many paintings are blended throughout the brilliant design, accentuating the non-stop banter between the furry antagonists. This seamless blending of ambiance and language play makes it a must-have for storytellers and storylovers alike, and leaves us wondering what kind of conversations she is having with Lapin as he lollygags on her writing desk. (glossary) (Folklore. 6-12)
Pub Date: May 7, 2002
ISBN: 0-374-34328-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Melanie Kroupa/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2002
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
When the wild calls, will this good dog answer? For McKinley the malamute is a very good dog, one who takes his contract with his humans seriously: he assiduously guards his human family, especially the pup, Jack. He is also a politically astute dog: he is head dog of the Steamboat Springs dog pack. His retriever friend Aspen, had she the language of pop psychology, would call him a codependent dog: “You watch out for everybody but yourself.” His comfortable life is disturbed when a lamed wolf, Lupin, comes down out of the hills to recruit dogs to join her dwindling pack. McKinley feels drawn to her wildness, while at the same time remaining mindful of his doggy responsibilities. These become immensely more complicated when his pup (inspired by The Jungle Book and Julie of the Wolves) decides to try to run away and live with the wolves even as the human community gears up for a massive wolf hunt and an upstart Irish setter begins to challenge McKinley’s leadership. How can McKinley acquit his obligations to his pup, to Lupin, and to an abused greyhound whose escape sets the plot in motion, while at the same time preserving his position in the pack? Avi (The Secret School, p. 1021, etc.) by and large does a creditable job of keeping the many subplots going, although the action occasionally gets bogged down in discussions of the political doggy climate. The narrative is filtered through a dog’s-eye-view with occasional whimsical touches (streets have names like “Horse Smell Way”), but for the most part the text takes itself as seriously as McKinley does. Almost wholly absent from the story is a real exploration of the mutual affection that underlies the human-dog relationship; without this, McKinley’s decision to stay with his humans rather than follow Lupin is an intellectual, and ultimately unsatisfying, one. (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83824-7
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Richard Jackson/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2001
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