A boisterous roundup of creepy but friendly creatures with butt horns, multiple eyes, fuzz, and more.
A picture-book guide to fantastic island monsters.
Imagine a safari where instead of lions, giraffes, and ostriches, there is a creature called a Zabb: part eagle, part chimp, part crab, part chicken, and part beagle. In Emmons’ picture book, a cordial blue-skinned and green-eyed monster named Cornelius leads tours of the tropical and snowcapped Creepington Isle’s magnificent monsters. When arriving at the dock, never mind the tentacles, scales, and claws; the dapperly dressed Cornelius, in a blazer, button down, bowtie, and bowler hat, is a gracious host. Some monsters have onomatopoeic names that seem befitting, like the Yumbler, the Bammer, and the Gabble. Others have names that are a combination of their features, including the Bink (who has big, stinky feet) and the Slurm (a long, slime-loving worm). Some have names that just seem randomly nonsensical, such as the Bleephus, the Yopp, and the Zilla-Ma-Zong. Regular animals live there too, as squirrels, penguins, spiders, and butterflies are seen in the coconut trees and on the ice. (Kaijan, a giant flying chipmunk, seems out of place.) At the tour’s end, there’s a monster party, and Cornelius assures readers that “there’s nothing to fear.” The author’s rhyming descriptions are catchy and fun (“She munches on bicycles, fences and trees. She’ll eat a piano and spit out the keys!”); they complement Whitehead’s outlandish looking monsters, with their outlandish and occasionally gross traits. This rhyming jaunt through monsterland will surely invite giggles.
A boisterous roundup of creepy but friendly creatures with butt horns, multiple eyes, fuzz, and more.Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9798337511085
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An immersive, charming read and convincing proof again that even small bodies can house stout hearts.
Can knightly deeds bring together a feathered odd couple who are on opposite daily schedules?
Having won over a dragon (and millions of fans) in the Caldecott Honor–winning Knight Owl (2022), the fierce yet impossibly cute nocturnal, armor-clad owlet faces a new challenge—sleep deprivation—in the wake of taking on Early Bird, a trainee who rises with the sun and chatters interminably: “I made pancakes! Do you like pancakes? I love pancakes! Where’s the syrup?” It’s enough to test the patience of even the knightliest of owls, and eventually Knight Owl explodes in anger. But although Early Bird is even smaller than her mentor, she turns out to be just as determined to achieve knighthood. After he tells her to leave, she acquits herself so nobly in a climactic encounter with a pack of wolves that she earns a place at the castle. Denise proves a dab hand at depicting genuinely slinky, scary wolves as well as slipping cheerfully anachronistic newspapers and other sight gags into his realistically wrought medieval settings to underscore the tale’s tongue-in-cheek tone. Better yet, a final view of the doughty duo sitting down together to a lavish pancake breakfast/dinner at dusk ends the episode in a sweet rush of syrup and bonhomie.
An immersive, charming read and convincing proof again that even small bodies can house stout hearts. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9780316564526
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
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