Two children unwittingly—and unwillingly—share a fort in the woods, until one day their paths cross; will they fight or unite?
The prince, a white boy, struts toward his “castle,” planning his feast—only to discover, among other pirate effects, a treasure map scribbled on his invitation and an eye patch on the floor of his great hall. He rids the place of the pirate things and continues planning his royal feast. The next day, the pirate, a black girl, dreams of travel and treasure as she parades toward her “ship”—but she discovers a feast invitation, a crown, and table settings. She tosses out the royal items and tidies up on deck. Each finds the unwelcome changes on their next solo visit too, but on the day of the feast, the prince and the pirate come face to face. When each discovers their intruder, a fight over the space with shouts of “No pirates allowed” and “No royalty allowed” gives way to a new use for the fort: spacecraft. This is a vision the two children can, and do, share. The illustrations bring the children’s imaginations to life on the page, turning the fort into lush scenes depending on the beholder, leaving it simple and ragged only when the two argue. The values of imagination and collaboration are conveyed without a heavy hand. Two caveats: The interracial casting does not reflect real-world power dynamics, even among children, and one unfortunate imaginary scene sees the white boy presiding over a group of subjects of color.
Mostly delightful. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: April 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62414-925-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
Categories: CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION
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BOOK REVIEW
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
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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. 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
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A genius way to ease kids into the new adventure that is kindergarten.
In an imaginative ruse that’s maintained through the whole book, a young astronaut prepares for his mission to Planet Kindergarten. On liftoff day (a space shuttle–themed calendar counts down the days; a stopwatch, the minutes), the small family boards their rocket ship (depicted in the illustrations as the family car), and “the boosters fire.” They orbit base camp while looking for a docking place. “I am assigned to my commander, capsule, and crewmates.” Though he’s afraid, he stands tall and is brave (not just once, either—the escape hatch beckons, but NASA’s saying gets him through: “FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION”). Parents will certainly chuckle along with this one, but kindergarten teachers’ stomach muscles will ache: “[G]ravity works differently here. We have to try hard to stay in our seats. And our hands go up a lot.” Prigmore’s digital illustrations are the perfect complement to the tongue-in-cheek text. Bold colors, sharp lines and a retro-space style play up the theme. The intrepid explorer’s crewmates are a motley assortment of “aliens”—among them are a kid in a hoodie with the laces pulled so tight that only a nose and mouth are visible; a plump kid with a bluish cast to his skin; and a pinkish girl with a toothpick-thin neck and huge bug eyes.
Sure to assuage the fears of all astronauts bound for similar missions. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4521-1893-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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