A delightful story for independent readers and a fine read-aloud for younger children.
A fresh anthropomorphic kids’ chapter book by debut author Ferrett.
Endingen Mole is an orphan living a quiet existence, using checklists provided by Madame Victoria, the only other mole he knows. One fateful day, his cupboard falls down, revealing a map that triggers long-buried memories and compels him to re-evaluate his solitary routine. He creates an adventure checklist that includes a visit with Mr. and Mrs. A. and E. Molesworthy of Lengnau, described as an “interesting couple.” He packs his knapsack full of tasty treats and embarks, electing to walk aboveground rather than tunneling, as moles generally do. He soon learns the hazards of such travel when he’s wounded by a falling branch. However, he meets new animal friends who help him, and he soon reaches the Molesworthys, who turn out to be a delightful older couple named Albert and Edwina. They’re thrilled to see Endingen, and they not only feed him, but also teach him about his heritage. He learns his real name—Thomas Tobler—and the truth about what happened to his parents. Despite the Molesworthys’ warnings, he continues on to Hillfoot House to claim his birthright from the clutches of his evil uncle, Julius; as predicted, greater dangers exist there. Yet another children’s tale featuring talking animals may seem like a trite idea. However, this book manages to be charming, as it immediately evokes both Winnie-the-Pooh and Beatrix Potter’s works. It features a few illustrations, mainly black-and-white drawings that add little to the text; however, its full-color map is sure to excite children’s imaginations. Also, the fact that Thomas/Endingen is an independent orphan seeking his own way will appeal to young readers. Although it’s clearly derivative of classics of children’s literature, it proves precisely why their tropes are perennial favorites.
A delightful story for independent readers and a fine read-aloud for younger children.Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781806341351
Page Count: -
Publisher: Troubador Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
The greeting-card art and jokey rhymes work for the baby-shower market but not for the youngest readers.
Animal parents declare their love for their offspring through rhymed puns and sentimental art.
The title sets the scene for what’s to come: The owl asks the owlet as they fly together, “WHOO loves you?”; the kangaroo and joey make each other “very HOPPY”; and the lioness and cub are a “PURRRFECT pair.” Most of the puns are both unimaginative and groanworthy, and they are likely to go over the heads of toddlers, who are not know for their wordplay abilities. The text is set in abcb quatrains split over two double-page spreads. On each spread, one couplet appears on the verso within a lightly decorated border on pastel pages. On the recto, a full-bleed portrait of the animal and baby appears in softly colored and cozy images. Hearts are prominent on every page, floating between the parent and baby as if it is necessary to show the love between each pair. Although these critters are depicted in mistily conceived natural habitats and are unclothed, they are human stand-ins through and through.
The greeting-card art and jokey rhymes work for the baby-shower market but not for the youngest readers. (Board book. 6 mos-2)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-1374-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs.
The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement.
When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves—during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and—most serious—civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house—and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw—Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend). While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. Whew.
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3903-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
