An inspiring ecosystem of kind creatures work together to make the impossible possible.
An abandoned stuffed bear makes his way home with a lot of help in Leonie’s chapter book for young readers.
Luna the dog has Jonas’ best friend Albert in her mouth, and Albert is in big trouble. Jonas is a little boy with light brown hair and fair-colored skin; Jonas’ best friend Albert is a well-loved stuffed bear. By the time Aunt Mina comes to the rescue, Albert has been ripped almost to shreds. Jonas convinces Aunt Mina to sew Albert back together, but when grumpy Uncle David arrives home, he puts his foot down: “You can’t call that repulsive thing a stuffed animal anymore. It reeks of old dog slobber. That rag isn’t even suitable for Luna to chew on. First thing tomorrow, we’ll go to the toy store to get Jonas the biggest and shiniest bear we can find.” Uncle David throws Albert into the nearest receptacle—the compost bin. Inside the bin, Albert meets a surprisingly charming maggot named Maud, who introduces him to her friends: Timo the mouse, Kelvin the beetle, and Sofia the snail. Together, the creatures hatch a plan to help Albert return home to Jonas. After some death-defying stunts and near-misses, Timo gets Albert inside the house, but for the homestretch, they’ll need Luna’s help. Interspersed with the text are childlike hand-drawn illustrations with watercolor backgrounds;the characters are portrayed with intricate detail. The adventure story is dynamic, enthralling, and sometimes contemplative. Albert often reflects on things he has learned from Jonas about nature to help him along his quest, and appreciates the differences that make all the creatures he meets special. (Upon meeting Vera, the spider: “Once the initial wave of fear passes, he finds himself fascinated. He’s never been this close to a spider before and Vera’s an extraordinary sight. She spins flawless silk from her underbelly and her movements are deliberate and graceful.”) In Albert, readers will find an environmentally conscious, brave, and deeply sympathetic protagonist who is willing to do anything for his best friend.
An inspiring ecosystem of kind creatures work together to make the impossible possible.Pub Date: Dec. 28, 2024
ISBN: 9781068575990
Page Count: 79
Publisher: Fidessa Literary
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
Dizzyingly silly.
The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.
Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.
Dizzyingly silly. (Humor. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
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