A grand and stirring tale for readers not quite ready for Tony Lee and Sam Hart’s Pirate Queen (2019).
A rousing tribute to Granuaile O’Malley, 16th-century freebooter from County Mayo.
As this import has received no special treatment for an international audience, there is no pronunciation guide for names and locales, but the Irish author and illustrator offer reasons aplenty for readers this side of the pond to tip figurative hats to a fierce and fearless heroine. She started off by cutting her hair short (“Granuaile” means “Bald Gráinne”) to become a sailor, then went on to exploits that included fighting off Algerian pirates (newborn babe in one arm), leading pirate raids of her own, and bargaining face to face (in Latin, their only shared language) with Elizabeth I for the release of two sons from prison. Smiling confidently and topped by a flaming mop of red hair, O’Malley definitely cuts a swashbuckling figure in the simple, flat illustrations—cutlass frequently to hand whether leaping into (blood-free) battle or just posing heroically. Though the Burkes give both the political waters in which she sailed and the violence inherent in her line of work little notice, they do identify her two husbands and her children as well as select rivals or others prominent in her life. Most of the human figures are white though some, particularly in fight scenes but also in family groupings, display a range of skin tones.
A grand and stirring tale for readers not quite ready for Tony Lee and Sam Hart’s Pirate Queen (2019). (timeline, additional facts) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-7171-8350-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Gill Books/Dufour Editions
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
A story of friendship that is both lively and lovely
Two friends embark upon a high-seas adventure.
Kondo, a large lemon-colored creature with wide round eyes, spends his day on his island home with his best friend, tangerine-hued Kezumi. Together, they frolic on their idyllic isle picking berries (tall Kondo nabs the higher fruit while Kezumi helps to retrieve the lower) while surrounded by tiny “flitter-birds” and round “fluffle-bunnies.” One day, Kezumi finds a map in a bottle that declares “WE ARE NOT ALONE.” Inspired by visions of a larger world, Kondo and Kezumi fashion a boat from a bathtub and set sail. The pair visits fantastical islands—deliciously cheese-laden Dairy Isle, the fiery and fearsome Fireskull Island—until they eventually settle upon the titular Giant Island, where they meet Albert, a gigantic gray talking mountain who is—obviously—unable to leave. Enthralled by his new friends, Albert wants them to stay forever. After Albert makes a fraught decision, Kondo and Kezumi find themselves at a crossroads and must confront their new friend. Goodner and Tsurumi’s brightly illustrated chapter book should find favor with fans of Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen’s similarly designed Mercy Watson series. Short, wry, descriptive sentences make for an equally enjoyable experience whether read aloud or independently. Episodic chapters move the action along jauntily; the conclusion is somewhat abrupt, but it promises more exploration and adventures for the best friends. (This review was originally published in the June 1, 2019, issue. The book data has been updated to reflect changes in publisher and date of publication.)
A story of friendship that is both lively and lovely (Fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-368-02577-5
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A brisk if bland offering for series fans, but cleverer metafictive romps abound.
The titular cookie runs off the page at a bookstore storytime, pursued by young listeners and literary characters.
Following on 13 previous How To Catch… escapades, Wallace supplies sometimes-tortured doggerel and Elkerton, a set of helter-skelter cartoon scenes. Here the insouciant narrator scampers through aisles, avoiding a series of elaborate snares set by the racially diverse young storytime audience with help from some classic figures: “Alice and her mad-hat friends, / as a gift for my unbirthday, / helped guide me through the walls of shelves— / now I’m bound to find my way.” The literary helpers don’t look like their conventional or Disney counterparts in the illustrations, but all are clearly identified by at least a broad hint or visual cue, like the unnamed “wizard” who swoops in on a broom to knock over a tower labeled “Frogwarts.” Along with playing a bit fast and loose with details (“Perhaps the boy with the magic beans / saved me with his cow…”) the author discards his original’s lip-smacking climax to have the errant snack circling back at last to his book for a comfier sort of happily-ever-after.
A brisk if bland offering for series fans, but cleverer metafictive romps abound. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0935-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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