An imaginative and witty adventure, though perhaps not as comforting as intended.
In 1927, figments of the imagination come to the rescue of a kidnapped baby in this debut novel for children and adults.
The narrator is a dapper, learned, and imaginary lop-eared rabbit named Thursby, one of several Cozies, or nursery figments: creatures generated “when moonlight enters a home and touches a child’s happy dreams.” They exist to comfort kids at night, and it’s only by moonlight that the Cozies gain access to the real world and use items from the realm of dreams. Other Cozies in Thursby’s household include Gubbins (“he resembles what might happen if two pocket watches collided”); the fairylike, tutu-wearing Twins; the kohl-eyed and elegant Musetta; and Rumple, something like a squashy elephant. Their current charge is 1-year-old Bingo, short for Benjamin. Bingo’s new nanny, Agnes, has a sullen and covetous air that worries the Cozies—for good reason. When Bingo is left in her care, Agnes hands the child over to a brutish lout. “THEY TOOK OUR BINGO!” Musetta shouts, and the Cozies swing into action. Using a cloud, plum glue (“made from sugar plums, visions of which…dance in children’s heads”), a slice of starry night, and moonlight to make a kind of zeppelin, they track Bingo to the kidnappers’ lair in the Big City, recruit some human help, and fulfill their child-consoling mission. In this tale, Fischer balances danger and escapades with appropriately warm and supportive coziness. Children and innocence are carefully watched over and protected in this world. This has soothing appeal for kids, but the book’s vocabulary and point of view are often pitched more to adult readers: “You may recognize here the genesis of the theory now known as layered imaginations. I have since referred to the concept regularly in my academic writings and, allegorically, in my poetry,” says Thursby. The trouble is that adults know too well that innocents aren’t always safeguarded, making the story’s reassurances ring a little hollow. That the baby is from a prosperous family with servants while the thugs are working class also raises unsettling questions for adults.
An imaginative and witty adventure, though perhaps not as comforting as intended.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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