A funny premise, executed with verve.
Being fierce is hard when you’re struggling with a cold.
A serpentine scaly green dragon with a flowing orange mane and big teeth and claws fills the page. Our hero explains to Phoenix how tough and terrifying dragons are. “We take on the world with a mighty ROOOOOAAAR…CHOO!” Dragon’s sneeze practically blows Phoenix out of the air. Phoenix tries to help by offering orange ginger tea, a blanket, a scarf, and bone broth soup, but Dragon is having none of it. Dragon’s attempts at roaring turn into big sneezes, however—until one fiery sneeze causes an inferno that Phoenix must douse. Phoenix, whose energy is now flagging, suggests taking a nap. One more sneeze later, and Phoenix is practically drooping with fatigue as the two friends switch roles. Using a palette of greens, oranges, and golds, Santat depicts the two creatures as larger-than-life cartoons with humorously expressive features. Every page is packed with color and action, but the text feels static in comparison, perhaps because of its small size and lack of variation (a missed opportunity for a typesetting design that matches the exuberance and personality of the two characters). Nevertheless, this simple but entertaining tale will be a pleasure to read aloud. An author’s note discusses the significance of the dragon and the phoenix in Chinese mythology.
A funny premise, executed with verve. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9780593531754
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Rocky Pond Books/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A scaly new hero sure to save the day—and to endear herself to readers.
Stand aside, little mermaids. The true, pointy-toothed protector of the seas is here!
Though she’s part shark and part human, Shark Girl has never had much to do with her human side—until the day a massive fishing net captures her, along with a load of other sea denizens. She escapes and, realizing that the dangerous Captain Barrett is overfishing, seeks vengeance. With the help of a sea witch (“you’ll need a sea witch if you want to get legs”), she disguises herself and joins Barrett’s crew in the hope of inciting mutiny. Rebellions, however, are difficult things to start. Instead, Shark Girl discovers that humans are complicated creatures and that sometimes revenge isn’t as straightforward as a creature born of the sea would prefer. Beaton peppers her conservationist tale with peppy, scaly aplomb. Shark Girl’s the right hero for the job, even if her methods don’t always go how she’d like. Mixing vignettes, comic book–like panels, and full-page spreads, the artwork ramps up the drama; fierce-looking, sharp-toothed Shark Girl makes a winsome protagonist. Given that sharks and mermaids are both hot topics among young readers, this title feels like a natural marriage between the two. The environmental messaging is subtle in the face of the power of a protagonist who’s part shark, part girl, and all awesome. Shark Girl is blue-skinned, Captain Barrett presents white, and the crew is diverse.
A scaly new hero sure to save the day—and to endear herself to readers. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9781250184924
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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