In a double dose of puckishness from Morgenstern (Three Days Off, 2001, etc.), two spirited young princesses tackle personal issues. First, after bored, lonely Princess Yona, scion of impoverished royalty, finally discovers where all the other children are going every morning, she drags her moping parents out into the world to enroll her in school and to buy her a suitable wardrobe. Then bookish Princess Emma, afflicted by a maddeningly elusive itch on her back, rejects an array of shy, sly, and misguided suitors before realizing that, even though unpretentious Prince Ray can’t find the itch either, she likes the way he scratches. With Bloch’s (A Book of Coupons, 2001, etc.) small, freely drawn ink sketches to press tongue even more firmly into cheek, these episodes, originally published separately and in French, are sure pleasers for fans of James Thurber’s Many Moons (1990) or the princess tales of Gail Carson Levine. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: May 20, 2002
ISBN: 0-670-03567-X
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2002
When the substitute walks in, James and Ray quickly decide to switch desks and identities—but the joke turns as sour as the smells from Ray's garbage-filled desk when James finds himself blamed for his friend's high jinks and poor schoolwork. When Ray recites a poem describing ``himself'' as ``James./Neat. Smart./Cleaning his desk./Petting his dog./Dreaming of girls...,'' the class is mightily amused. James's aggravation turns to panic when Ray sprains his ankle and the teacher goes off to call ``his'' parents; still, all's well: she's been on to them all along. A funny, uncontrived story—from the author of The Fireplug is First Base and other well-told tales. Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: March 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-525-45059-9
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1993
Vying for acceptance in her new fourth grade, Linda weaves a tangled web. ```We don't need any more girls in this class!''' they tell her. Seeking recognition, Linda boasts, cheats on a test, and quickly alienates class leader Tammy. She also empathizes with her brother's difficulties, agonizes over a stray cat (``Mississippi''), and meets a failed cook/fortuneteller who helps her think about her actions and motives. Eventually, everyone learns a lesson, ends an estrangement, or finds his/her niche—except Gramps, who continues to cheat on his diet by hiding cookies in the garage. This sequel to Figment, Your Dog, Speaking (1991) features several of the same motifs (dishonesty, a wish for acceptance, absent parents, a talking animal), as well as a similarly blurred storyline crowded with ancillary characters. Unfortunately, the important messages conveyed by their various experiences are obscured by the overload. Still, Hawkins continues to show promise as a storyteller. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-395-61627-1
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1992
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