An appealing and informative wildlife adventure.
When someone shoots beavers whose dam has caused a flood in the Canadian small town of Willow Grove, Madi, Jack, and Aaron rescue kits, find the culprit, and figure out how to keep the beavers from attracting further violence.
This middle-grade wildlife mystery makes explicit homage to the work of Jane Goodall, whom Madi, who introduces herself as an “animal whisperer” like her late grandmother, is dying to meet. But after a gripping opening during which Madi swims underwater and up into a beaver lodge to rescue two orphaned kits, readers learn she has a choice: She can see Goodall in person at an upcoming gala or she can bring home the two kits, though her parents have forbidden her rescuing any more wildlife. She chooses to bring the kits home anyway. The rest of her first-person, present-tense narrative balances the difficulties of hiding and nurturing beaver kits with the work she and her friends—all 12 years old—do to solve the mystery and the town’s beaver problem. Johnson sets this firmly in the present day; they use iPods, smartphones, and ATVs. There’s helpful information about animal rescue, but she makes clear that the process isn’t easy. A professional wildlife rehabilitator praises Madi’s work but adds that ordinary people keeping wildlife “usually does more harm…than good.” The cover illustration suggests that Madi and Aaron are White while Jack, who hopes to be a game warden, has brown skin and long, straight black hair.
An appealing and informative wildlife adventure. (author’s note, wildlife tips) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-358-33485-9
Page Count: 208
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new...
How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage.
Living in a "domain" of glass, metal and cement at the Big Top Mall, Ivan sometimes forgets whether to act like a gorilla or a human—except Ivan does not think much of humans. He describes their behavior as frantic, whereas he is a peaceful artist. Fittingly, Ivan narrates his tale in short, image-rich sentences and acute, sometimes humorous, observations that are all the more heartbreaking for their simple delivery. His sorrow is palpable, but he stoically endures the cruelty of humans until Ruby the baby elephant is abused. In a pivotal scene, Ivan finally admits his domain is a cage, and rather than let Ruby live and die in grim circumstances, he promises to save her. In order to express his plea in a painting, Ivan must bravely face buried memories of the lush jungle, his family and their brutal murder, which is recounted in a brief, powerful chapter sure to arouse readers’ passions. In a compelling ending, the more challenging question Applegate poses is whether or not Ivan will remember what it was like to be a gorilla. Spot art captures poignant moments throughout.
Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author’s note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new generation of advocates. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-199225-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Certain to steal hearts.
In this follow-up to 2020’s The One and Only Bob, Ruby the elephant is still living at Wildworld Zoological Park and Sanctuary.
She’s apprehensive about her Tuskday, a rite of passage for young elephants when she’ll give a speech in front of the rest of the herd. Luckily, she can confide in her Uncle Ivan, who is next door in Gorilla World, and Uncle Bob, the dog who lives nearby with human friend Julia. Ruby was born in an unspecified part of Africa, later ending up on display in the mall, where she met Ivan, Bob, and Julia. The unexpected arrival of someone from Ruby’s past life on the savanna revives memories both warmly nostalgic and deeply traumatic. An elephant glossary and Castelao’s charming, illustrated guide to elephant body language help immerse readers in Ruby’s world. Goofy, playful, and mischievous Ruby is fully dimensional, as she has shown her bravery during the many hardships of her young life. Applegate deftly tempers themes of grief and loss with compassion and humor as Ruby finds her place in the herd. The author’s note touches on climate change, the illegal ivory trade, and conservation efforts, but the highly emotive framing of the story through the memories of a bewildered baby elephant emphasizes the impact of lines such as “ ‘in Africa,’ I say softly, ‘there were bad people,’ ” without offering readers a nuanced understanding of the broader context that drives poaching.
Certain to steal hearts. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780063080089
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
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