Lift-the-flap factoids and a Ms. Frizzle wannabe form the gimmicks obviously designed to make this effort stand out from a crowded pack—with limited success. “Angel Finn” narrates this compendium of shark facts, beginning with a quick physical description and ending with the news that “many sharks are now endangered.” In between, readers are treated to discussions of prehistoric sharks, shark habitats, feeding habits and reproduction, in no discernible progression. The lift-the-flap elements pose questions that may or may not have occurred to readers (“Why do sharks bite metal cages?”) and reveal answers in a forced attempt to draw kids in—and they’re flimsy, to boot. Angel, a cartoony sketch with long blonde hair, appears placed against full-bleed photographs, some computer-generated (although no acknowledgement of this is made in the text). Most photographs feature gaping, toothy mouths. All in all, it’s a model of sensationalism in science books for kids, and lacking both the gravitas and the artistry of Nicola Davies’s Surprising Sharks (2003) or Jim Arnosky’s All About Sharks (2003). This offering is the very definition of “additional purchase.” (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: July 18, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-7534-6064-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kingfisher
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2007
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Rylant (Henry and Mudge and the Sneaky Crackers, 1998, etc.) slips into a sentimental mode for this latest outing of the boy and his dog, as she sends Mudge and Henry and his parents off on a camping trip. Each character is attended to, each personality sketched in a few brief words: Henry's mother is the camping veteran with outdoor savvy; Henry's father doesn't know a tent stake from a marshmallow fork, but he's got a guitar for campfire entertainment; and the principals are their usual ready-for-fun selves. There are sappy moments, e.g., after an evening of star- gazing, Rylant sends the family off to bed with: ``Everyone slept safe and sound and there were no bears, no scares. Just the clean smell of trees . . . and wonderful green dreams.'' With its nice tempo, the story is as toasty as its campfire and swaddled in Stevenson's trusty artwork. (Fiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-689-81175-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1998
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