Accessible and entertaining.
Stitch and his crew must travel to Paris to save the world from intergalactic evildoers.
The famed character from the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch is on a family trip with Lilo, Nani, Pleakley, and Jumba when he is called by the Grand Councilwoman of the Galactic Federation to assist with finding Cobra Bubbles and stopping the Snailiens from taking root on Earth. Stitch becomes an official Galactic Detective Agent, and with Lilo, Pleakley, and Jumba in tow, he hunts down the Snailiens in Paris. Behling’s story is simple: Following a set of rules from the GDA Official Handbook, Stitch puts aside his normally destructive tendencies to prove his worthiness as an agent. Behling breaks the fourth wall, often addressing readers directly, something that is nicely incorporated in a way that is not jarring. The Snailiens are a harmless threat—marshmallows are their kryptonite—suitable for younger readers. The book includes a brief summary of the plot of the movie, so prior knowledge of the original animated film is not necessary. The pace moves along well, thanks in part to Rea’s illustrations; some of the story’s progress occurs only through comic panels, giving it a graphic novel feel. The simple plot, appealing art, and familiar characters add up to make this an engaging read.
Accessible and entertaining. (Science fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: June 7, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-368-06710-2
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Disney Press
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
However the compelling fitness of theme and event and the apt but unexpected imagery (the opening sentences compare the...
At a time when death has become an acceptable, even voguish subject in children's fiction, Natalie Babbitt comes through with a stylistic gem about living forever.
Protected Winnie, the ten-year-old heroine, is not immortal, but when she comes upon young Jesse Tuck drinking from a secret spring in her parents' woods, she finds herself involved with a family who, having innocently drunk the same water some 87 years earlier, haven't aged a moment since. Though the mood is delicate, there is no lack of action, with the Tucks (previously suspected of witchcraft) now pursued for kidnapping Winnie; Mae Tuck, the middle aged mother, striking and killing a stranger who is onto their secret and would sell the water; and Winnie taking Mae's place in prison so that the Tucks can get away before she is hanged from the neck until....? Though Babbitt makes the family a sad one, most of their reasons for discontent are circumstantial and there isn't a great deal of wisdom to be gleaned from their fate or Winnie's decision not to share it.
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1975
ISBN: 0312369816
Page Count: 164
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1975
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit.
Eleven-year-old Maria Russo helps her charlatan mother hoodwink customers, but Maria has a spirited secret.
Maria’s mother, the psychic Madame Destine, cons widows out of their valuables with the assistance of their apartment building’s super, Mr. Fox. Madame Destine home-schools Maria, and because Destine is afraid of unwanted attention, she forbids Maria from talking to others. Maria is allowed to go to the library, where new librarian Ms. Madigan takes an interest in Maria that may cause her trouble. Meanwhile, Sebastian, Maria’s new upstairs neighbor, would like to be friends. All this interaction makes it hard for Maria to keep her secret: that she is visited by Edward, a spirit who tells her the actual secrets of Madame Destine’s clients via spirit writing. When Edward urges Maria to help Mrs. Fisher, Madame Destine’s most recent mark, Maria must overcome her shyness and her fear of her mother—helping Mrs. Fisher may be the key to the mysterious past Maria uncovers and a brighter future. Alas, picture-book–creator Ford’s middle-grade debut is a muddled, melodramatic mystery with something of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink feel: In addition to the premise, there’s a tragically dead father, a mysterious family tree, and the Beat poets. Sluggish pacing; stilted, unrealistic dialogue; cartoonishly stock characters; and unattractive, flat illustrations make this one to miss. Maria and Sebastian are both depicted with brown skin, hers lighter than his; the other principals appear to be white.
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit. (author’s note) (Paranormal mystery. 7-10)Pub Date: July 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-20567-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
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