A multi-species cast powers this rollicking tale of family and acceptance.
In Breitrose’s middle-grade adventure novel, a colony of gerbils gets a taste of the good life with help from a human boy and a shrinking machine.
Sophie, not yet fully grown, is judged too “bouncy” by the Elders of her colony of free gerbils. They send her on a mission for GRAPO (Gerbil Release and Progress Organization), which liberates gerbils all over the United States. She makes her way into an apartment and frees Fluffy, kept as a pet by 10-year-old Joe Newman. Fluffy reports that she has seen something extraordinary, which shakes the entire colony: it’s a device called a Nanozap, Joe’s inventor dad’s shrinking machine. Such a wonder could give the gerbils some much-desired prestige, outfitting them with human clothes and furnishings. They eye the Nanozap’s portable version, which resembles a “big old hairdryer.” But as the operation of this smaller machine still requires an opposable thumb, the Elders suggest shrinking Joe and asking him for help. Joe is surprisingly okay with this, and spends an hour or so a day gerbil-sized. The full-sized Joe devotes an afternoon to shrinking various items for the gerbils’ use, such as furniture humans aren’t currently using. Unfortunately, while the colony promotes equality among gerbils, some of them become greedy and demand more than their share of the flashy new things Joe has brought them. Meanwhile, the gerbils, who can shrink and “unshrink” Joe efficiently, discover that the Nanozap, both in its original and portable form, may contain a flaw that no one had spotted.
The author’s spry novel boasts a striking, largely tiny, cast. Short chapters energize the story, which jumps between Sophie’s and Joe’s easygoing first-person narrations. The gerbils overflow with personality; they earn money with a web-design business for oblivious humans, FaceTime with GRAPO’s out-of-state headquarters, and tolerate rats’ unfounded animosity. Much as in George Orwell’s novella Animal Farm (1945), the nonhuman characters represent communists. By contrast, the Newmans are capitalists (the Nanozap ignites much interest among billionaires). Breitrose smartly acknowledges the benefits and pitfalls of both economic systems. Still, the novel caters to young readers: Joe suffers familiar adolescent turmoil, from losing his friends when the Newmans move to enduring bullies at his new school and an obnoxious big brother. And while Joe does a few questionable things (such as lying and stealing), he does it to help the gerbils, aware that he’s crossing a moral line he’ll surely pay for later. More than anything else, the novel is witty and fun, with animated descriptions of characters “going up, up, up” a swinging ladder or “down, down, down” a building. There’s also clever uses of onomatopoeia, such as the Nanozap’s recurring sounds of “WHOOSH” when it shrinks Joe and “HSOOHW” when it makes him regular size again. Although the final act is a bit rushed, it brings the story to a gratifying close for all the characters. A multi-species cast powers this rollicking tale of family and acceptance.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Manuscript
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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