Higgins Hole is a paradisiacal reef off the Florida Keys, where sharks, shellfish and sealife of every kind live in harmony...
A middle-grade undersea fantasy angles to be a comical clambake but reels in only a damp debacle.
Higgins Hole is a paradisiacal reef off the Florida Keys, where sharks, shellfish and sealife of every kind live in harmony under the wise leadership of Lutus the lobster—until their peaceful idyll is invaded by the monstrous white shark Tacitus and his gang of thugs. Every denizen of the deep, from the tiniest shrimp to the giant blue whales, will have to summon unprecedented courage to save their home, with just a little unexpected assist from the abyss. The premise is a charming one, but when the prologue drains any potential suspense by announcing a complete, casualty-free victory, the story needs to rely instead upon a likable voice or clever execution. Unfortunately, the first-person narration by the vainglorious grandiloquent seahorse Petronius (and especially his tedious reliance on incessant, groan-worthy puns) quickly becomes annoying, while the broad political and social satire will most likely sail over the heads of younger readers. The cartoony ink illustrations provide a certain goofy brio, and the brief chapters and constant cliffhangers might make for a passable classroom read-aloud. The failure to allow any named female a role beyond passive oracle or silly damselfish-in-distress, however, unnecessarily excludes half the potential audience, while the condescending tone and corny humor will probably alienate the rest.Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-57091-641-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2012
Epic lunacy.
Will extragalactic rats eat the moon?
Can a cybernetic toenail clipper find a worthy purpose in the vast universe? Will the first feline astronaut ever get a slice of pizza? Read on. Reworked from the Live Cartoon series of homespun video shorts released on Instagram in 2020 but retaining that “we’re making this up as we go” quality, the episodic tale begins with the electrifying discovery that our moon is being nibbled away. Off blast one strong, silent, furry hero—“Meow”—and a stowaway robot to our nearest celestial neighbor to hook up with the imperious Queen of the Moon and head toward the dark side, past challenges from pirates on the Sea of Tranquility and a sphinx with a riddle (“It weighs a ton, but floats on air. / It’s bald but has a lot of hair.” The answer? “Meow”). They endure multiple close but frustratingly glancing encounters with pizza and finally deliver the malign, multiheaded Rat King and its toothy armies to a suitable fate. Cue the massive pizza party! Aside from one pirate captain and a general back on Earth, the human and humanoid cast in Harris’ loosely drawn cartoon panels, from the appropriately moon-faced queen on, is light skinned. Merch, music, and the original episodes are available on an associated website.
Epic lunacy. (Graphic science fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-308408-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale.
After a tsunami devastates their habitat in the Salish Sea, a young orca and her brother embark on a remarkable adventure.
Vega’s matriarchal family expects her to become a hunter and wayfinder, with her younger brother, Deneb, protecting and supporting her. Invited to guide her family to their Gathering Place to hunt salmon, Vega’s underwater miscalculations endanger them all, and an embarrassed Vega questions whether she should be a wayfinder. When the baby sister she hoped would become her life companion is stillborn, a distraught Vega carries the baby away to a special resting place, shocking her grieving family. Dispatched to find his missing sister, Deneb locates Vega in the midst of a terrible tsunami. To escape the waters polluted by shattered boats, Vega leads Deneb into unfamiliar open sea. Alone and hungry, the young siblings encounter a spectacular giant whale and travel briefly with shark-hunting orcas. Trusting her instincts and gaining emotional strength from contemplating the vastness of the sky, Vega knows she must lead her brother home and help save her surviving family. In alternating first-person voices, Vega and Deneb tell their harrowing story, engaging young readers while educating them about the marine ecosystem. Realistic black-and-white illustrations enhance the maritime setting.
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale. (maps, wildlife facts, tribes of the Salish Sea watershed, environmental and geographical information, how to help orcas, author’s note, artist’s note, resources) (Animal fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-299592-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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