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BOBO CRAZY

Introduced originally in a 1996 picture book, then a made-for-TV movie, space-station-dwelling preteen Zenon Kar kicks off her chapter-book series with a slangy girl-meets-robodog tale. Live pets aren’t allowed aboard Space Station #9, but the new, improved mechanical Tobo dog is better than a real one; it can fly, spout jokes, and even do homework. Zenon’s friends all rush out and get one, but her frackle-pinching father won’t spring for anything pricier than the dopey, inarticulate Bobo model. What a scorch. Zenon is truly flared up, until her teacher awards everyone, except her, a failing mark for letting their dogs do their homework. When all of the Tobos develop tuton shorts in their flystroms and attack their owners, Bobo doesn’t look so bad—but where has he gone? The characters are as abbreviated as the plot, but Bollen adds comical cartoon illustrations to every page of Zenon’s brisk narrative. A glossary helps readers who’ve been put into a Martian mist by her argot, and by the end she and her metal mutt are reunited. No rocket fuel required for this lighter-than-air vehicle. (Fiction. 8-10)

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-679-89249-4

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2000

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OWEN FOOTE, MONEY MAN

In his quest for easy moolah, Owen learns that the road to financial solvency can be rocky and fraught with work. Greene (Owen Foote, Soccer Star, 1998, etc.) touches upon the often-thorny issue of chores and allowances: Owen’s mom wants him to help out because he’s part of the family and not just for the money—while Owen wants the money without having to do tedious household chores. This universal dilemma leaves Owen without funds and eagerly searching for ways to make a quick buck. His madcap schemes range from original—a “free” toilet demonstration that costs 50 cents—to disastrous, as during the trial run of his children’s fishing video, Owen ends up hooking his ear instead of a trout. Enlisting the aid of his stalwart, if long-suffering, friend Joseph, the two form a dog-walking club that becomes vastly restricted in clientele after Owen has a close encounter with an incontinent, octogenarian canine. Ultimately, Owen learns a valuable lesson about work and money when an unselfish action is generously rewarded. These sudden riches motivate Owen to consider wiser investments for his money than plastic vomit. Greene’s crisp writing style and wry humor is on-target for young readers. Brief chapters revolving around a significant event or action and fast pacing are an effective draw for tentative readers. Weston’s (Space Guys!, p. 392, etc.) black-and-white illustrations, ranging in size from quarter- to full-page, deftly portray Owen’s humorous escapades. A wise, witty addition to Greene’s successful series. (Fiction. 8-10)

Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2000

ISBN: 0-618-02369-0

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Clarion Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000

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KING MIDAS AND THE GOLDEN TOUCH

PLB 0-688-13166-2 King Midas And The Golden Touch ($16.00; PLB $15.63; Apr.; 32 pp.; 0-688-13165-4; PLB 0-688-13166-2): The familiar tale of King Midas gets the golden touch in the hands of Craft and Craft (Cupid and Psyche, 1996). The author takes her inspiration from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s retelling, capturing the essence of the tale with the use of pithy dialogue and colorful description. Enchanting in their own right, the illustrations summon the Middle Ages as a setting, and incorporate colors so lavish that when they are lost to the uniform gold spurred by King Midas’s touch, the point of the story is further burnished. (Picture book. 7-9)

Pub Date: April 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-688-13165-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999

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