A promising series opener that will leave readers primed for more charming, small-town, canine adventures.
Pups publishing? Yes, and also reading, operating machines, and solving problems.
Gizmo, a big-city dog, finds his life drastically altered when his human, Granny—a gray-haired, bespectacled, scooter-riding journalist—moves to the countryside to write a memoir, taking him along. Gizmo, who hates “getting his paws wet,” is nervous about making new friends and living in a village named Puddle. When Jilly, an Irish wolfhound, introduces Gizmo to all the dogs in the area, the first problem is solved. Jilly has her own problem—her pups are about to be sold off. After homes have been found for Jilly’s puppies, another dilemma is introduced: Jilly can’t read. That difficulty is also quickly resolved. The final pages see the dogs publishing the first issue of The Daily Bark and provide an obvious setup for future books in the series. Illustrations on every spread may help youngsters transitioning to a longer novel format, but text and pictures do not always match. British terms (like tucked in to mean eating) and references to antiquated equipment (a Polaroid camera and a typewriter) invite young American readers to broaden their perspectives. Gizmo’s dislike of water is handled inconsistently; he’s miserable when he falls into a water trough but doesn’t object when Granny gives him a bath.
A promising series opener that will leave readers primed for more charming, small-town, canine adventures. (Illustrated text. 6-9)Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0881-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Extraordinary introductory terror, beautiful to the eye and sure to delight younger horror enthusiasts.
What terrors lurk within your mouth? Jasper Rabbit knows.
“You have stumbled your way into the unknown.” The young bunny introduced in Reynolds and Brown’s Caldecott Honor–winning picture book, Creepy Carrots (2012), takes up Rod Serling’s mantle, and the fit is perfect. Mimicking an episode of The Twilight Zone, the book follows Charlie Marmot, an average kid with a penchant for the strange and unusual. He’s pleased when his tonsils become infected; maybe once they’re out he can take them to school for show and tell! That’s when bizarre things start to happen: Noises in the night. Slimy trails on his bedroom floor. And when Charlie goes in for his surgery, he’s told that the tonsils have disappeared from his throat; clearly something sinister is afoot. Those not yet ready for Goosebumps levels of horror will find this a welcome starter pack. Reynolds has perfected the tension he employed in his Creepy Tales! series, and partner in crime Brown imbues each illustration with both humor and a delicate undercurrent of dark foreshadowing. While the fleshy pink tonsils—the sole spot of color in this black-and-white world—aren’t outrageously gross, there’s something distinctly disgusting about them. And though the book stars cute, furry woodland creatures, the spooky surprise ending is 100% otherworldly—a marvelous moment of twisted logic.
Extraordinary introductory terror, beautiful to the eye and sure to delight younger horror enthusiasts. (Early chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781665961080
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
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
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