A terrific trilogy of fast, freewheeling friendship tales.
Aided by magical animals, three kids with disabilities solve mysteries and save the day in this omnibus of middle-grade adventures.
Rasheed gets about in a wheelchair. His best friend, Jonathan Nguyen, needs a stick to walk. They live in a society where humans and magical creatures coexist and where those with disabilities are both accepted and respected. But prejudice still exists. Some of the lesser-known creatures are looked down on by their more famous brethren and by certain humans. But that’s about to change. Rasheed loves to solve mysteries. He has named his wheelchair Sonya and modified her for increased speed and functionality. Jonathan has built all sorts of gadgetry into his cane. Joined by their friend JosephineRodriguez, who has chronic anxiety, Rasheed and Jonathan set out to right some wrongs. In Book 1 (Mystery Force, Assemble!), they fly to Scotland to rescue animals from a sweatshop. It is here that they befriend Max the flying Fire Fox and Dan the Karkadan (an armor-plated rhinoceros). In Book 2 (The Case of the Stolen Horn), one of their teachers—a unicorn—has his horn stolen, and another instructor—a pegasus—is falsely accused. The friends have to track down the real culprit. In Book 3 (Blazing Blizzards), they trek through a labyrinth and to the top of a mountain to combat the villainous schemes of the aptly named Dr. Evilina Dorisova. Neill presents a simply written omniscient narrative in this series opener. The stories breeze along, each escapade offering plenty of action, peril, and ingenuity. The chapters are short, and the protagonists act with the good-heartedness and uncomplicated determination of the most firmly entrenched middle-grade heroes. Rasheed, Jonathan, and Josephine are very likable. While the author glosses over the exact nature of their impairments, they take charge of their environment and refuse to let their disabilities manifest as handicaps. This positivity is reflective of good values portrayed here more generally: compassion, selflessness, and bravery. Though the mystery element is actually quite light, young readers will be caught up and swept along amid dauntless deeds and acts of derring-do. Copious cartoon-style, black-and-white illustrations by Spooner bring the books to life and highlight their diversity.
A terrific trilogy of fast, freewheeling friendship tales.Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2021
ISBN: 979-8486908149
Page Count: 330
Publisher: Independently Published
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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BOOK REVIEW
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends
Gerald the elephant learns a truth familiar to every preschooler—heck, every human: “Waiting is not easy!”
When Piggie cartwheels up to Gerald announcing that she has a surprise for him, Gerald is less than pleased to learn that the “surprise is a surprise.” Gerald pumps Piggie for information (it’s big, it’s pretty, and they can share it), but Piggie holds fast on this basic principle: Gerald will have to wait. Gerald lets out an almighty “GROAN!” Variations on this basic exchange occur throughout the day; Gerald pleads, Piggie insists they must wait; Gerald groans. As the day turns to twilight (signaled by the backgrounds that darken from mauve to gray to charcoal), Gerald gets grumpy. “WE HAVE WASTED THE WHOLE DAY!…And for WHAT!?” Piggie then gestures up to the Milky Way, which an awed Gerald acknowledges “was worth the wait.” Willems relies even more than usual on the slightest of changes in posture, layout and typography, as two waiting figures can’t help but be pretty static. At one point, Piggie assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Most amusingly, Gerald’s elephantine groans assume weighty physicality in spread-filling speech bubbles that knock Piggie to the ground. And the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends makes it clear that it was indeed worth the wait.
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends . (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-9957-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
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BOOK REVIEW
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