Sure to please newly independent readers who are pussycat pals.
What is this “school” place little humans go to? Don’t they realize their feline owners are more important?
The erstwhile stray cat Oliver, formerly known as Mr. Independent (My Pet Human, 2015), can’t get his pet human girl, Freckles, to understand that she should stay home and pay attention to him rather than go to school, so he tags along by hiding in her backpack. Oliver uses that cat-patented big-eyed “Look” to charm the adult humans at school, but he ends up having to stay with Mrs. Sinclair, the adviser of the Fur-ever Friends Club…and that leads to Freckles’ joining the club. This has two unpleasant outcomes: Freckles fosters a kitten who has no respect for Oliver’s boundaries, and both Oliver and the kitten must participate in a talent-show fundraiser for a local shelter. Too many treats and hot lights spell disaster at the talent show for Oliver, but all works out for the best in the end. Surovec’s second tale of Oliver and his pet human will entertain fans of the first. Large text, ample black-and-white cartoon illustrations, and plenty of dialogue in talk bubbles will keep the pages turning in this tale of feline friendship. (In the cartoons, all human characters have paper-white skin, but there are variations in hair color and texture.)
Sure to please newly independent readers who are pussycat pals. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 6-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-62672-074-9
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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