An aesthetically pleasing fairy-fix.
A team of fairies rescues forest animals in distress.
In four short stories, the Superfairies (Asian Rose, white Star, black Silk, and brown-skinned Berry, possibly Latina, South Asian, or mixed-race) work as a team to help the animals of Peaseblossom Woods. In “Basil the Bear Cub,” the little bear ends up stuck and dangling from Shaky Bridge after a dare, resulting in a river rescue via fairycoptor. In “Dancer the Wild Pony,” the fairies provide comfort to a dance-champion pony who is struggling with the pressure of expectations. In “Martha the Little Mouse,” after an autumn storm damages the home of a family of mice, young Martha rushes out to greet the fairies and is swept away by the storm; after completing the rescue, the fairies tell the Autumn Queen that her storm got out of hand, so she can scale back (the storm is to knock leaves off of trees to prepare for winter). In “Violet the Velvet Rabbit,” Violet skis down a snowy slope after some ribbing and encouragement from Basil and is caught up in a slight avalanche. The stories are simple, and the fairies are frequently indistinguishable as characters, but the full-color artwork’s cheery palette and use of textures and patterns, as well as the friendly, rounded animal forms and spindly fairies, hold great appeal.
An aesthetically pleasing fairy-fix. (Fantasy. 6-9)Pub Date: April 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-62370-819-1
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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