A smart, endearing tale packed with adorable dogs and useful tips for role-playing game newcomers.
A team of dynamic dogs embark on a quest requiring wit, creativity, and bravery.
Readers are invited to follow the DnDoggos, a group of canine friends, as they learn an exciting role-playing game together. Magnus, the Game Master, coaches Tonka, Pickles, and Zoey as they learn the rules. When local pup Squish goes missing from the in-game village of Tail’s Bend, the DnDoggos set out to find the mischievous non-player character. Twists and turns in the in-game campaign will intrigue readers just as Tonka, Pickles, and Zoey are carried along on the adventure. Underhill’s debut makes a seamless transition from webcomic to traditional graphic novel. The vibrant, full-page illustrations combined with thoughtfully placed panels allow for clear sequencing throughout. Readers are able to easily differentiate between the dogs as players versus their game characters thanks to clever distinctions in how their facial features are illustrated (these differences are also shown side by side in an introductory guide to the cast). When compared to the simpler lines and color palette of the game players’ table scenes, the detailed, vividly colored scenes portraying the in-game adventure draw readers into the campaign in the same way human players use their imaginations to immerse themselves in RPGs. The irresistibly charming dogs guide young readers through the rules of tabletop RPGs while seamlessly demonstrating meaningful lessons about teamwork.
A smart, endearing tale packed with adorable dogs and useful tips for role-playing game newcomers. (gaming tips) (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9781250834348
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
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
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