Cats, a dash of fantasy, and a puzzling mystery are a recipe for a fun read despite an abrupt and unsatisfying ending.
Two children help their pet cat solve a mystery in this short, middle-grade first installment of a series.
Johnstone takes readers to a land known as Cat City. One night, sister and brother Amy and James decide to follow their cat, Kiwi, but they’re in for a surprise when they learn that Kiwi can talk. Kiwi transforms them into kittens and takes them with her to Cat City. Kiwi is called upon to help Inspector Furrball solve a series of catnappings that have occurred in the feline-filled city. While Amy and James (now Ames and Jimster) struggle to adapt to cat behavior, including licking their own fur, Kiwi investigates Catskins Limited, a company that makes biscuits and seems to be linked to the catnappings. Furrball asks his nephew, the bumbling, oafish Paws, to assist the trio, though he proves useless. The break in the case comes when Kiwi and Furrball discover that the Catskins delivery to Cat Crime has a false bottom that contains some mysterious contents. Kiwi, with help from Amy and James, tracks the catnapped catizens, but more treachery ensues. Though the book is a mystery, the bloodshed-free crime means that the book is safe enough for younger readers to enjoy, and funny moments—provided by the bumbling Paws and lots of “cat” wordplay—keep the story light. The sleuthing will captivate young readers, although the ending, which allows for a sequel, is disappointingly inconclusive. For example, readers never learn what was hidden beneath the false bottom of the Catskins box or about Dev’s background, the criminal mastermind. Nor do we get to see what happens when Amy and James return to their old human forms.
Cats, a dash of fantasy, and a puzzling mystery are a recipe for a fun read despite an abrupt and unsatisfying ending.Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2012
ISBN: 978-1463588298
Page Count: 154
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
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BOOK REVIEW
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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