Irresistible animals star in this sublime coming-of-age tale.
In this debut fantasy, a kitten searches for her place in life while facing malevolent adversaries on a farm.
Grey is born in a barn on Black Mountain Farm. She’s barely a few weeks old when her mother leaves to live in the nearby woods, with Grey’s brother and sister not far behind. But the farm overflows with vibrant animals, some of whom believe the striking kitten is special (“The kitten’s gray fur, with its black- and sand-colored stripes, was spectacular”). Miss Jay the Bird becomes Grey’s guardian and convinces her to flaunt her feline pipes at “the Phoenix Club,” the farm’s monthly talent show. But at the same time, a sinister presence emerges. A Black Widow surrenders to the red Hourglass on her back, which develops an awareness and a voice all its own. This wicked duo obsesses over control and manipulates animals into spying on others in the mountainous region. When the two rope Grey into their scheme, the kitten seeks help from Miss Jay and some wise, magical wildlife. As Grey plans an inevitable confrontation with the Widow and the Hourglass, she learns a lot about who she is and where she wishes to be. Nilsson’s brisk, charming series opener boasts a memorable, mostly animal cast. She lovingly describes each character, such as Biggie the Deer, who likes moonshine perhaps a bit too much, and well-meaning but naïve Jack the Donkey, the Widow’s first “recruit.” Fox’s stunning illustrations further elevate these characters; highlights include Grey’s ride in a cup atop Biggie’s antlers and the recurring image of the Widow’s huge, ominous shadow. While magic permeates the narrative, from talking trees to the Hourglass’ terrifying ability, the story primarily centers on zealous Grey. She yearns to be more than a barn cat and discovers she’s capable of great deeds. Her journey not only carries this story, but also ends with a perfect setup for the sequel.
Irresistible animals star in this sublime coming-of-age tale.Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-954401-00-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Loodor Publishing
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
After some autobiographical excursions, Dahl here returns to the sort of whimsically grotesque fantasy that makes grown-ups wince and children beg for more. His heroine is five-year-old Matilda, a genius whose mathematical abilities, as well as her impressive reading list (Hemingway, Steinbeck, etc.), are totally unappreciated by her father—a dishonest used-car salesman—and her mother, a devotee of bingo and TV soaps. Only when the girl enters school does she find an understanding ally, Miss Honey, a paragon of virtue who attempts to defend her pupils against unbelievably cruel headmistress Miss Trunchbull, who hates children in direct proportion to their youth and tortures them accordingly. Just when things seem to be at their worst, Matilda discovers still another gift, telekinesis, enabling her to defeat the horrible Trunchbull and give Miss Honey, and herself, a new start. Dahl's tightly woven plots, his strict sense of absolute justice, and his raunchy "funny bits" make him popular with children who also appreciate the empowerment he grants to his smaller, weaker protagonists. Matilda is the most simplistic of his efforts in this direction, but it does retain the time-honored appeal, abetted by Blake's apt illustrations. It probably should be marked "For Children Only," though. And Dahl slips badly when he says that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien have no "funny bits" in their books.
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1988
ISBN: 0142410373
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 16, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1988
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
SEEN & HEARD
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