A masterfully illustrated and true-to-character take on a classic.
Medieval literature’s Reynard, the roguish fox, makes a return to amuse young readers with his clever tricks in this fresh interpretation of a well-worn figure.
At the behest of the noble King Noble (a lion), all the animals gather at court to peacefully make their complaints and receive justice. One animal is absent: Reynard. Wolves and chickens alike lay their accusations against Reynard in his absence, and when summoned to the defense, he concocts new mischievous manipulations. Alternating between spreads of text that feature choice spot illustrations and lush, full-colored double-page spreads depicting Reynard’s crimes, the tales can be taken in bite-sized pieces but are ultimately woven into a satisfying overarching and cohesive book. Lauströer’s skill for visual storytelling shines through in masterful illustrations, which read as classical while remaining cleverly modern, with stroke economy in pen and gouache giving a sketchy—but not unfinished—feel. The illustrations match the pacing of the text, translated from Raecke’s German, which maintains a sense of the long history of Reynard’s escapades without seeming old-fashioned, so readers will enjoy a hint of the darkness found in old fairy tales in this character-driven fable. An afterword includes a history of the trickster fox in European literature, including the fascinating tidbit that the character’s name replaced the original French word for the animal. Endpapers feature charming studies of mice and birds, reinforcing the cleverly designed cover. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.8-by-19.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 100% of actual size.)
A masterfully illustrated and true-to-character take on a classic. (Picture book/folktales. 8-10)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-66265-006-2
Page Count: 80
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Dizzyingly silly.
The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.
Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.
Dizzyingly silly. (Humor. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to...
A group of talking farm animals catches wind of the farm owner’s intention to burn the barn (with them in it) for insurance money and hatches a plan to flee.
Bond begins briskly—within the first 10 pages, barn cat Burdock has overheard Dewey Baxter’s nefarious plan, and by Page 17, all of the farm animals have been introduced and Burdock is sharing the terrifying news. Grady, Dewey’s (ever-so-slightly) more principled brother, refuses to go along, but instead of standing his ground, he simply disappears. This leaves the animals to fend for themselves. They do so by relying on their individual strengths and one another. Their talents and personalities match their species, bringing an element of realism to balance the fantasy elements. However, nothing can truly compensate for the bland horror of the premise. Not the growing sense of family among the animals, the serendipitous intervention of an unknown inhabitant of the barn, nor the convenient discovery of an alternate home. Meanwhile, Bond’s black-and-white drawings, justly compared to those of Garth Williams, amplify the sense of dissonance. Charming vignettes and single- and double-page illustrations create a pastoral world into which the threat of large-scale violence comes as a shock.
Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to ponder the awkward coincidences that propel the plot. (Animal fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-544-33217-1
Page Count: 256
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 31, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
