A wild, imaginative adventure that explores the ends of the world.
Summerhouse's debut is a charming children’s story of adventure and mystery in the least likely of places.
For Orion Poe, life with his grandfather in a small town in Maine is dull and predictable. But his life takes a sudden turn when, one summer night, during a terrible storm, Orion spots a boat with a passenger wash ashore. From the start, Orion and his grandfather see that this is no ordinary man—his nose is purple, as though from frostbite, his clothes are strange and old-fashioned, and he has big scars along his back as though he had been whipped. They nurse him back to health, and they learn that the lost explorer is named Collins. The seafarer speaks of a terror that is coming and spends his nights screaming from nightmares. He asks Orion to hide a box for him. In no time at all, a frightening pack of angry men come hunting for a box that belongs to John Franklin, an explorer who vanished in the Arctic in 1847. After consulting with professor Meriwether, a knowledgeable expeditionist, Orion and his grandfather learn that the container holds a map that will unlock the mystery of what happened to Franklin. Meanwhile, Meriwether, his friend Hinckley and young Orion will travel to the top of the world to get to the bottom of the story. Told in the convincing voice of an 11-year-old, this easy-to-read tale engages and often fascinates. Weaving in historical facts about a vanished explorer adds texture and educational value to an already entertaining and wonderful read. Orion is a smart, fun-loving boy whose bravery and humor make him a timeless hero alongside Huckleberry Finn. Recommended for any young reader who loves adventure.
A wild, imaginative adventure that explores the ends of the world.Pub Date: May 19, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-9860614-0-0
Page Count: 275
Publisher: Shake-A-Leg Press
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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