Despite its conventionality, young fantasy fans will likely enjoy this novel and take away lessons about different cultures.
A 10-year-old boy from another planet time-travels around Earth as he tries to track down his missing parents.
The novel opens with Orion Spence awakening after his airship crashes in Antarctica and he can’t find his parents. It’s an enticing beginning that slowly unveils the true circumstances of Orion’s situation. He and his parents come from the island of Patalosh on the planet Lumina. They learned to journey through time and have settled on Earth, allowing Orion to make friends across countries and centuries as they navigate the globe on the HMS Exploricus airship. What sounds like an adventurous life comes with a few problems: First, Orion is a “Non,” which means he doesn’t have any magic powers, unlike most of his fellow Taloshians. Second, the evil Emperor Daaggerd is holding Orion’s parents hostage, since they are the keepers of a book that contains all the good and evil spells in existence. It’s up to Orion, a Taloshian named Sir Karotene, a penguin and other friends they pick up along the way to trek to each of the seven continents and solve puzzles so they can retrieve keys to unlock the book before the Emperor can find them. Then he must locate and rescue his parents. It’s a well-trod good-vs.-evil plot, with numerous conventions from series like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, so readers can sense what’s coming. The writing is a little flat but easy for young readers to follow. It’s a quick read for fans of adventure—the time- and world-traveling components add a fun touch. The authors are also concerned with exercise and nutrition, which adds another educational aspect to the text.
Despite its conventionality, young fantasy fans will likely enjoy this novel and take away lessons about different cultures.Pub Date: Feb. 29, 2012
ISBN: 978-1463521332
Page Count: 326
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 10, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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