The hardworking, lantern-jawed gent introduced in Man on the Moon (2002) finds doggy (more or less) companionship in this cheerfully oddball sequel. Searching for “a pal who’ll always be by my side,” Bob mopes through an ordinary Earth day of solitary meals and errands (spaceship batteries and Moon-patterned underwear) before rocketing off to work as a guide and performer for lunar tourists. The ordinary events described in Bartram’s text find hilarious counterpoint in the seemingly staid illustrations. As Bob obliviously goes about his business, sharp-eyed viewers will pick out small alien hands snatching every cupcake in sight, pigeons and other city residents transformed with bright colors and eyes on stalks and, in nearly every scene, a small tail-wagger who looks just like a puppy save for the single eye atop its head. Of course, Bob and this last do ultimately hook up, and go off blissfully together. Fans of Chris Gall’s There’s Nothing To Do On Mars (2008) and William Joyce’s classic Day With Wilbur Robinson (1990, 2006) will be richly entertained. Value added: a glow-in-the-dark poster inside the jacket. (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4425-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Templar/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2009
Thanks to parrot-toting Braidbeard and his gloriously disreputable crew, a lad discovers the ups and downs of a pirate’s life in this rousing mini-epic. His mom and dad busy on another part of the beach, young Jeremy happily joins a band of hook-handed, eye-patched, snaggle-toothed pirates aboard their ship, learning pirate table manners (none), enjoying a game of nautical soccer until a shark eats the ball, then happily retiring without having to brush teeth, or even don pajamas. But then Jeremy learns that pirates don’t get tucked in, or get bedtime stories, and as for good night kisses—Avast! Worse yet, no one offers comfort when a storm hits. So, giving over the pirate’s life, Jeremy shows the crew where to bury its treasure (his backyard), and bids them goodbye. Shannon outfits Braidbeard’s leering, pop-eyed lot in ragged but colorful pirate dress, and gives his young ruffian-in-training a belt and bandanna to match. This isn’t likely to turn pirate wannabees into landlubbers, but it will inspire a chorus of yo-ho-hos. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-15-201848-4
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2003
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A trite, knock-off sequel to Jumanji (1981). The “Jumanji” box distracts Walter Budwing away from beating up on his little brother Danny, but it’s Danny who discovers the Zathura board inside—and in no time, Earth is far behind, a meteor has smashed through the roof, and a reptilian Zyborg pirate is crawling through the hole. Each throw of the dice brings an ominous new development, portrayed in grainy, penciled freeze frames featuring sculptured-looking figures in constricted, almost claustrophobic settings. The angles of view are, as always, wonderfully dramatic, but not only is much of the finer detail that contributed to Jumanji’s astonishing realism missing, the spectacular damage being done to the Budwings’ house as the game progresses is, by and large, only glimpsed around the picture edges. Naturally, having had his bacon repeatedly saved by his younger sibling’s quick thinking, once Walter falls through a black hole to a time preceding the game’s start, his attitude toward Danny undergoes a sudden, radical transformation. Van Allsburg’s imagination usually soars right along with his accomplished art—but here, both are just running in place. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2002
ISBN: 0-618-25396-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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