A painful, comic retelling of five horror movies. Wisniewski is so familiar with these films that the inside jokes must be hilariously funny to him. However, it’s hard to imagine the young reader who has seen, or even heard of, the original movies and therefore hard to imagine them understanding the jokes. Though much of the humor is calculated to bring a groan rather than a guffaw, it’s hard to see how the intended audience will respond with anything but a blank look. The werewolf with a feminine haircut becomes a werewuss; a crazed hermit runs around insulting everyone in German; the castle has a big buttress and is dieting to lose it; space aliens in the form of toupees take over the mind of General Malaise and space girdles threaten to take their place. Some of the characters are stereotypic, if not downright racist: “More chins than a Chinese phone book,” the Tibetan guide, Duk Pin Bo Ling, and the Abominable Showman, who sounds like a stereotyped character in a bad Catskills production. Because many authors are trying to hop on Pilkey’s Captain Underpants bandwagon, the confused young readers will pick up this inviting-looking volume, with its hilarious illustrations, readable font, and comfortable white space and shake their heads in confusion. If the stories were not devoid of plot, older readers might like figuring out the puns and plays on words. (Fiction. 7-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-06-000513-0
Page Count: 80
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2002
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
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