A whimsical but not particularly creative trip through history with a mischievous cat.
The real engineers behind human success throughout history are cats, according to this book of children’s historical fiction from Abrams.
Spice Abrams has both a tail and a tale to tell. This “spicy” cat declares to readers that cats predate humans on the evolutionary timeline and are thus the key to humanity’s growth and success. Conveniently, human records are unreliable, but Spice is ready to share the truth of the matter—and in rhyming couplets, no less. Back when humans were nomadic, cats lived in colonies that took an interest in these strange, bipedal creatures and showed them how to settle down. “‘There’s work involved. No, please don’t cry. / We’ll show you how, but you must try.’ // By watching how a cat survives, / the people soon improved their lives.” Of course, the humans could barely feed themselves, so cats taught them to hunt and fish, inventing the fishing rod because people didn’t have sharp claws. Table manners, personal hygiene, and even the roundness of the Earth follow suit. Spice’s story extends across space and time from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance all the way to a future where cat astronauts bounce around the moon waiting for a new world to explore. No matter where or when, Spice assures readers, cats push humans to be their very best. Abrams’ follow-up to Silly Cat and Friends Make Believe (2023) is a silly stand-alone alternate history that may amuse cat lovers, particularly those in elementary school. This historical romp provides a disclaimer as to its truthfulness (or lack thereof), but its emphasis on the emotional bond between humans and their pets stands the test of time. Her sentences flow smoothly, as does the story, though things do become somewhat repetitive as cats solve every issue that crops up with no difficulty. Vagreti’s illustrations are expressive and portray a variety of people with different skin tones—though, like much of the history, most of them are white.
A whimsical but not particularly creative trip through history with a mischievous cat.Pub Date: July 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781628802955
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Ideas into Books WESTVIEW
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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