A nicely etched story of doing the right thing in a trying world.
Young Nick outfoxes a greedy knight as well as a company of thieves to rescue his oppressed medieval village.
The setting here is an age-worn town, sometime in the Middle Ages, with a Central European feel, venerable but struggling under the boot of a bloated, cruel tyrant. Nick has been forced into servitude at Sir Nestor the Nasty’s castle because his mother is in debt to the knight. Nestor has more than he will ever have need, but that’s the point: Greed breeds greed. All day long, it’s chop wood, fetch water, do the dishes, and then do it again. Nick connives to make his escape and stumbles into the knight’s treasury in the process. He grabs one glowing coin and swings to freedom, only to land in the hands of a band of robbers who are only too happy to have someone to chop their wood, fetch water, and do the dishes. But Nick plays on their greed and soon enough has them swimming in the moat with Nestor’s alligators, right along with Nestor, as he puts the golden coin to good work. On one level, the story is simple fun, as are the illustrations, but scratch it just a little and it has much to say about the universality of greed and how wealth finds meaning when it is put to use for the common good.
A nicely etched story of doing the right thing in a trying world. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4091-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Teachers and students alike will delight in this food fight. Who will be the winner? Readers will be hungry to find out.
A tale of “to-go” food that is good for you!
What happens between pancakes and French toast when there is only one drop of syrup left? Readers get a ringside seat when the refrigerator door closes and the food comes to life. Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast take off on an edible version of American Ninja, running and rappelling through all the major food groups, each determined to reach the syrup first. The competition is fierce, as Toast plops into a vat of jam, and Pancake get sucked into chili-based muck. As the two royals skip through the Broccoli Forest and sail across soupy seas, the chilly interior of the refrigerator morphs into a true Hunger Games arena. While the rhyming meter is a bit tricky and may require practice before reading aloud, Kearney’s illustrations kick butter, with full command of the story’s arc. The bean avalanche is a trippy wonder that will be replayed at many dinner tables. The vibrant colors on simple backgrounds keep the action at the forefront, while the acrobatic rhymes tackle the next hurdle. Though not a nutritional guide, this serving of breakfast foods provides a heaping side of verbs.
Teachers and students alike will delight in this food fight. Who will be the winner? Readers will be hungry to find out. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1404-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
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