A smidge of scariness—with a light touch—and a lot of fun for dog lovers.
In his second outing, Rufus, a hairy canine snappily clad in a jacket and bow tie, keeps “very important pooches” happy at Hotel Woofmore.
Rufus must ensure that horror writer Silas Fang has a great vacation. The dark-caped German shepherd arrives in a scary car sporting a bat hood ornament, but he wants a break from all things macabre and requests “Unicorns! Bubbles! Rainbows!” Rufus, a “scaredy dog” through and through, is pleased, but when a few guests check in seeking a haunted hotel experience, Mr. Fang is ready to leave. Ms. Coco, the capable chihuahua manager, persuades everyone to stay, but trouble looms. Red pawprints appear…and is that a ghost? Mr. Fang threatens to go, but Rufus dazzles the writer with unicorn pupcakes baked by Chef Goodboyardee, and spa manager Sparkles prepares a poolside bubble bath. Rufus is working on the rainbow when the lights mysteriously go out. Uh-oh. Will the hotel’s valued guest storm off? Turns out, Rufus has found a way to please Mr. Fang after all. Some of the spookier scenes employ black and purple hues, but fans of the first installment will still find amusing puns, cheerful doggy employees, and canine guests in quirky clothing; Woofmore lovers will be laughing, while new readers will eagerly jump right in.
A smidge of scariness—with a light touch—and a lot of fun for dog lovers. (Chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9781419767647
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
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
Charming.
An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.
Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.
Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781665942485
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
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