These goofy, friendly characters offer an uncomplicated story with visual interest and a measure of good fun.
A Sour Milk Dragon menacing sylvan critters turns out not to be that frightening in Everett-Albanese and Albanese’s picture book.
The fantastically named Birpus and Bulbus, forest creatures (“Tree-Wees”) who resemble something between beavers and corduroy teddy bears, have been repeatedly chased by the Sour Milk Dragon, but they’re too fast to be caught. Their days are occupied with searching for “worm waffles” and “marmalade moths.” The layered, digitally painted world they race through is full of vast, redwoodlike trees and mushroom cottages linked by ladder bridges and lit by filtered orange light. When they return home, their Grand-Wees are always happy to tell a story. The older forest-dwellers seem unconcerned about the dragon below. As it turns out, this is a reasonable attitude: When they find him again, Birpus and Bulbus learn the homely purple milk-leaking dragon, though stinky, poses no threat to anyone and just wants a friend. Children who enjoy eccentric fantasy characters and are too young for more complicated stories will enjoy this easy resolution. The narrative gives more weight to the cozy woodland vibes (one character, Mr. Yellow, is literally a blanket) than to character or plot. Ta’s creative, full-color illustrations add depth to the simple storybook world.
These goofy, friendly characters offer an uncomplicated story with visual interest and a measure of good fun.Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781732898769
Page Count: 41
Publisher: Weight of Ink
Review Posted Online: Nov. 27, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
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