"Five bored Vikings went out hiking," looking for adventure...or just something to do. Gangly Loggi Longsocks (in shades of pink from head to toe and sporting a skull belt buckle) suggests catching a dragon and making a stew. In no time, they load a ship with supplies and set sail. When a giant orange squid attacks their ship, they tie its tentacles into knots. They travel a long time—until all their sandwiches are gone. Luckily, a passing killer whale guides them to Dragon Island, where an enormous pile of poo tells them they're on the right track; they climb a rocky hill that turns out to be the dragon, who sets all their pants on fire as they flee. Smallman's text, in phonetically crunchy verse, bounces humorously along, and Wildish makes each member of the Viking quintet deliciously distinct. The ending's a bit of a letdown, but readers both young and old should laugh at the resemblance of these ragtag Vikings to resourceful kids battling boredom in the backyard. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-56148-695-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Good Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2010
Categories: CHILDREN'S DRAGONS & MYTHICAL CREATURES
Did you like this book?
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Being true to yourself means embracing differences and striding (or paddling) fearlessly into the world.
Emerging from a giant clam, baby unicorn Kelp lives among narwhals, believing he’s just not as good as everyone else at swimming, appreciating a squid dinner, or breathing underwater (he sports a glass diving helmet—with a gasket-encircled hole for his horn). Swept close to shore one day, he spies for the first time an adult unicorn and, struck by the resemblance to himself, totters onto solid ground. The “land narwhals” explain to him that they—and he—are unicorns. Kelp’s blissful new life of learning to do special unicorn things amid sparkles and rainbows is punctuated by sadness over the narwhal friends he left behind. Upon returning to his watery home, Kelp learns that the narwhals knew all along that he was actually a unicorn. Following a brief internal tussle over where he truly belongs, Kelp recognizes that he doesn’t have to be just one thing or another and happily unites his friends at the shoreline. As seen in Sima’s soft, digital illustrations, Kelp is adorable, and she evokes both undersea and aboveground environments artfully. The message is an appealing one that could speak to many family situations relating to multiple identities, but the central dilemma is resolved so quickly and easily that there is little room for emotional engagement.
A slim, feel-good story, as light and airy as the rainbows that grace its pages. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6909-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2016
Did you like this book?
Young dragon lovers not quite ready for the film How to Train Your Dragon will appreciate this gentle, imaginative account of what having a dragon as a pet might be like.
Charming digital art features a bright-red, not-too-scary dragon, who starts out small at "Eddie's Exotic Pets." Exotic he may be, but with understated humor he's shown doing all kinds of regular-pet stuff: going to the vet for a checkup, sticking his head out the car window on the way home (except this pet's head sticks out of the sunroof), chewing on a shoe, going for a walk on a leash (except he flies, rather than walks) and more. The goofy expression on Sparky's face is just like that of an eager, friendly puppy, complete with tongue hanging out, and is especially funny when he's scaring folks unintentionally (sticking his head in the schoolroom window for show-and-tell, for example). The wry tone of the text complements the illustrations' comedy, especially in issuing some cautionary advice: "(But don't give them broccoli. It gives them gas. And you don't want a fire-breathing dragon with gas.)"
Boy and dragon close their day with a bedtime read ("Knight Boy," which looks like a graphic novel featuring a familiar-looking red dragon); this amiable story can help real-life families do the same. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58089-278-0
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2011
Did you like this book?
© Copyright 2022 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
