This tale of a hangry young hero is sure to satisfy.
The third in this not-so-scary monster series features a mummy consumed by a need to consume.
A mummy named Queen Andages is having a lovely nap until she awakens, peckish and without a snack in sight. Unable to tell if it’s day or night (sundials don’t work particularly well in pyramids, and windows are nonexistent), she steps outside, to the shock and horror of a group of visiting tourists. Everyone flees except a light-skinned girl named Nessa, and after she shares her chips with the voracious queen, the two become fast friends. Why did everyone run away? Maybe it has something to do with the mummy’s tendency to yell at the top of her voice when she wants something. So it’s off to the bazaar to look for Nessa’s moms, get more food for the still-ravenous Andages, and maybe find some clothing for the queen as well. Kids will enjoy noticing Andages’ (rhymes with bandages) rapidly unspooling wrappings long before she does, and the gentle humor of the text, translated from Spanish, may not have them howling with laughter, but they’ll certainly enjoy this brazen mummy’s need to nosh. Crowd scenes are filled with a cast of different ethnicities and skin tones.
This tale of a hangry young hero is sure to satisfy. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN: 9788419607416
Page Count: 44
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move.
An interactive board book promises a variety of experiences.
A book that gets kids up and moving sounds like a great idea. The half-circle cutout of the spine and large handle formed by another die cut on the right side are intriguing. Unfortunately, the rhyming instructions for using the book as an exercise prop are confusing. Even adults will find themselves puzzled when told to “paddle the floor,” or to “hang on the handles. Step over the book. / You're a turtle in its shell! Go peek out and look.” The busy pictures shift perspective according to each scenario presented but give few visual clues. For example, the only hint of a dinosaur on the page where readers are told to “put this book to your mouth and let out a roar” like a dinosaur are the teeth that line the edges of what is meant to be a gaping maw. It’s not always obvious whether the book is meant to be facing readers or turned away from them, adding another layer of confusion. Furthermore, many of the instructions run counter to how young children are typically taught to treat books, as when they are told to step on it and then waddle or to lift it with their feet. The relatively thin board pages and weak handles will soon be torn by normal handling; following the directions in the text will only hasten the destruction.
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8733-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
Bravery at its best.
A tot prepares for bedtime—and the monsters that come with it.
Armed with a colander on her head, a trusty flashlight, and a map of the monsters’ favorite hiding spots, Emi is ready. She just needs to stay very quiet and wait for a monster to spring her trap. Unfortunately, her dog, Cookie, doesn’t understand the importance of stillness. Cookie bounds after a ball, leaving Emi to face the dark unknown and attempt a daring rescue. Sweeping her flashlight from room to room, Emi searches for Cookie. Fluffy, friendly-looking monsters cower in the shadows as she passes. Emi’s courage shines through in comic-style speech bubbles: “I’m not SCARED!” she declares, just in case the monsters are listening (they are). Muted blue surroundings show the monsters, who are just as afraid of Emi as she is of them. Luckily, they duck in time and are never caught in her flashlight’s beam. Goggle-eyed Emi is the epitome of determination. “There aren’t even ANY monsters here. So boring.” Rich illustrations offer well-timed guffaws and silliness. The plucky protagonist is light-skinned; the monsters—furry, horned, and spiky. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Bravery at its best. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-75565-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
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