Set in a future from which humanity has vanished, leaving only legends behind, this text-and-graphic-novel hybrid takes a chatty young chipmunk from the supposed safety of his hollow-tree home to a derelict city ruled by a komodo dragon with “ratmink” minions, and then on to an idyllic animal community perched atop a plateau ringed by poisonous fog. Along the way he gathers a trio of friends—most notably Olive, a mechanically minded bear whose flying machine provides a hair’s breadth escape from the Dragon Queen. The illustrations, done in pen with light blue highlights, depict Thelonious and associates walking erect, wearing looted human—or in Thelonious’s case—doll clothing and puzzling out the purposes of the human artifacts around them. In every other chapter, the text and pictures blend into full graphic-novel format, providing needed boosts to the tale’s generally slow pacing. That, along with occasional quirky incidents such as the appearance of a mute (at first) homunculus may be enough to draw in a few readers, but those hoping for sustained drama, suspense or humor will be disappointed. An abrupt end signals future episodes on the way; perhaps they’ll be better. (Fantasy. 10-12)
Pub Date: June 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-689-87684-X
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2006
A page-turner that gives the heroic Stonekeepers plenty of chances to show their stuff and moves the main story along an...
Wraithlike attackers force a mass evacuation and a cryptic prophecy’s meaning begins to clear in this headlong continuation of Kibuishi’s deservedly popular series.
The action picks up in midflight as Navin and companions survive the destruction of their giant robot suits, then help the fleeing survivors of the city of Lucien by fighting a rear-guard action against swarms of diaphanous, cat-eyed, zombie-making Dark Scouts. Meanwhile Emily, Trellis and Vigo reluctantly join traitorous elf Max Griffin in another visit to the Voice’s realm of memories that leads to the death of a major character—along with a rescue, reunions with old friends and a lead-in to the next episode. Though the ongoing plotlines and large cast make familiarity with earlier outings a necessity, this one still features a crowd-pleasing blend of lively dialogue (“And I don’t care what the prophecies say. You’re still a slacker”), easy-to-follow, nonstop action, elves, robots and derring-do amid awesome sound effects (“D-DOOOM SHHAAAAAA,” “SZRAK!”). Most of the cleanly drawn, lushly backgrounded panels focus on faces, with occasional full-spread scenes adding dramatic visual highlights.
A page-turner that gives the heroic Stonekeepers plenty of chances to show their stuff and moves the main story along an inch or two. (Graphic fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-43315-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
Fans of Jeff Smith’s Bone will happily fret with the good guys and hiss at the baddies.
With many a SZZT! SZRAK! FWOOM! and SKREE!, young Emily learns to use an energy-bolt-shooting amulet against an array of menaces to rescue her captured Mom in this graphic-novel series opener.
When a scuttling “arachnopod” sucks down their widowed parent, Emily and younger sib Navin pursue through a door in the basement and into the alternate-Earth land of Alledia. Finding unexpected allies in rabbit-like Miskit, grumpy Cogsley and other robots created by their mysterious great-grandfather, the children weather attacks from huge, tentacled Rakers, a pointy eared elf prince with shark-like teeth and other adversaries to get her back—only to discover that she’s in a coma, poisoned. Off to Episode Two, and the distant city of Kanalis, for a cure. The mid-sized, squared-off panels are sometimes a little small to portray action sequences clearly, but the quickly paced plot is easy enough to follow, and Kibuishi is a dab hand at portraying freaky monsters.
Fans of Jeff Smith’s Bone will happily fret with the good guys and hiss at the baddies. (Graphic fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-439-84680-6
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2007
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