Adorable and diverting.
All her life, Safia Haziz has dreamed of adventure.
Reared on awe-inspiring tales by her bookseller parents, she’s lost and lonely when they die. She’s taken in by a distant aunt—born Walteranne Hakim, later she became Lady Whimsy, the World’s Greatest Adventurer. Having given up her globe-trotting lifestyle after being turned into a blue-furred, three-eyed, wolflike monster by a strange curse, Aunt Whimsy has hidden away from the world with her tough-as-nails housekeeper, Miss Cathryn, for company. When her aunt’s archnemesis, Professor Doctor Cecilia Choi, nicknamed Pineapple Tart, resurfaces in the news after a yearslong expedition, will Safia help Aunt Whimsy reclaim her former glory? The answer in this lighthearted romp is a foregone conclusion, as Safia and her aunt travel on a luxury ocean liner, negotiate a magical jungle, and befriend a surly secret agent. These, among other excursions, are depicted in an energetic style reminiscent of a ’90s cartoon. Full-page spreads of the sensations, sounds, smells, and tastes Safia experiences on her journeys are particular highlights. Yee’s character design is delightful, full of diversity in body type, skin tone, and gender expression. The story is kindhearted and full of fun. Eleven-year-old Safia is blind; her disability is never treated as an obstacle, instead incorporated into her zest for life in realistic ways, such as through the technology and devices she uses. Safia is brown-skinned and has relatives in India and Egypt.
Adorable and diverting. (gallery, concept art) (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-12546-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
More hijinks-filled adventure than mystery, this is sure to win an audience.
Ben Silverstein’s summer with Grandpa is about to go wild.
When his parents need to “work out some troubles,” 10-year-old Ben gets shipped off to tiny Buttonville, where everything seems to be closed or out of business since the button factory was shuttered years ago. Ben’s used to spending summers in the pool in his Los Angeles backyard with his friends, and Buttonville looks positively coma-inducing. When Grandpa’s mouser Barnaby deposits what has to be a baby dragon on Ben’s bed, Ben and his new friend Pearl (whom the whole town calls “troublemaker” on account of a few innocent incidents) decide to visit the new “worm doctor” who has moved into the abandoned button factory. (Ben had heard her strange assistant Mr. Tabby buying ingredients for “dragon’s milk” at the grocery....) When their visit unleashes a hairy, pudding-loving imaginary beast on the town of Buttonville, Ben and Pearl volunteer to catch him. Selfors kicks off her Imaginary Veterinary series with a solid, entertaining opener. Ben and Pearl are Everykids that readers will relate to, and the adults of Buttonville are often delightfully weird and clueless. Twenty-five pages of backmatter include information on wyverns and sasquatch as well as the science of reptiles and a pudding recipe.
More hijinks-filled adventure than mystery, this is sure to win an audience. (Adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: April 2, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-316-20934-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
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