by Barbara McClintock ; illustrated by Barbara McClintock ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 25, 2016
A pleasurable way to explore China, complete with insightful author’s notes for each locale in the backmatter.
Sometime around the turn of the 20th century, two white French children, Adèle and Simon, journey throughout historical China with their photographer uncle, Sidney.
Before they set off, Uncle Sidney buys the two travelers gifts, including a camera for Adèle and an abacus, a scroll, knapsack, and other items for Simon. The illustrated list of objects proves helpful later on. As they travel from place to place, Adèle writes postcards to her mama about the many sights they see as well as cataloging the gifts that Simon loses along the way. But, as Adèle’s photographs later reveal, each object was there all along. Much as in the popular search-and-find book Where’s Waldo, readers can search for Simon’s lost objects among the teeming double-page illustrations of 11 diverse locales. These include detailed renderings, done in McClintock’s trademark, vibrant pen-and-ink–and-watercolor style, of a bustling marketplace in Peking, a complex of monasteries in the Wudang Mountains, and the sprawling carved hillsides in southern China. With the children’s route outlined in red, the opening period map of China provides great perspective on how vast and varied this country was and still is. Since this is a historical view of China, many of the Chinese men wear queues, which can lead to further conversations with young readers.
A pleasurable way to explore China, complete with insightful author’s notes for each locale in the backmatter. (Picture book. 4-10)Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-374-39923-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
Share your opinion of this book
More by Michelle Markel
BOOK REVIEW
by Michelle Markel ; illustrated by Barbara McClintock
BOOK REVIEW
by Barbara McClintock ; illustrated by Barbara McClintock
BOOK REVIEW
by Barbara McClintock ; illustrated by Barbara McClintock
by Adam Gidwitz ; illustrated by Hatem Aly ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 10, 2018
Fantasy training wheels for chapter-book readers.
Elliot’s first day of school turns out to be more than he bargained for.
Elliot Eisner—skinny and pale with curly brown hair—is a bit nervous about being the new kid. Thankfully, he hits it off with fellow new student, “punk rock”–looking Uchenna Devereaux, a black girl with twists (though they actually look like dreads in Aly’s illustrations). On a first-day field trip to New Jersey’s Pine Barrens, the pair investigates a noise in the trees. The cause? A Jersey Devil: a blue-furred, red-bellied and -winged mythical creature that looks like “a tiny dragon” with cloven hooves, like a deer’s, on its hind feet. Unwittingly, the duo bonds with the creature by feeding it, and it later follows them back to the bus. Unsurprisingly, they lose the creature (which they alternately nickname Jersey and Bonechewer), which forces them to go to their intimidating, decidedly odd teacher, Peruvian Professor Fauna, for help in recovering it. The book closes with Professor Fauna revealing the truth—he heads a secret organization committed to protecting mythical creatures—and inviting the children to join, a neat setup for what is obviously intended to be a series. The predictable plot is geared to newly independent readers who are not yet ready for the usual heft of contemporary fantasies. A brief history lesson given by a mixed-race associate of Fauna’s in which she compares herself to the American “melting pot” manages to come across as simultaneously corrective and appropriative.
Fantasy training wheels for chapter-book readers. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: April 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7352-3170-2
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: March 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Adam Gidwitz & Emma Otheguy ; illustrated by Hatem Aly
by Adam Gidwitz & David Bowles ; illustrated by Hatem Aly
by Adam Gidwitz & Jesse Casey ; illustrated by Hatem Aly
More by Adam Gidwitz
BOOK REVIEW
by Adam Gidwitz
BOOK REVIEW
by Adam Gidwitz & Emma Otheguy ; illustrated by Hatem Aly
BOOK REVIEW
by Adam Gidwitz & David Bowles ; illustrated by Hatem Aly
by Geronimo Stilton & illustrated by Geronimo Stilton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2013
Warp back in time for a prehistoric spinoff adventure with Geronimo Stilton’s ancestor, Geronimo Stiltonoot, in Old Mouse City.
Readers will find Geronimo Stiltonoot a familiar character, outfitted differently from descendant Stilton yet still running a newspaper and having wild adventures. In this introduction to prehistoric mouse life, someone has stolen the most powerful and important artifact housed by the Old Mouse City Mouseum: the Stone of Fire. It’s up to Stiltonoot and his fellow sleuth and friend, Hercule Poirat, to uncover not only the theft, but a dangerous plot that jeopardizes all of Old Mouse City. As stand-ins for the rest of the Stilton cast, Stiltonoot has in common with Stilton a cousin named Trap, a sister named Thea and a nephew named Benjamin. The slapstick comedy and design, busy with type changes and color, will be familiar for Stilton readers. The world is fictionalized for comedic effect, featuring funny uses for dinosaurs and cheeky references to how far back in time they are, with only the occasional sidebar that presents facts. The story takes a bit long to get started, spending a lot of time reiterating the worldbuilding information laid out before the first chapter. But once it does start, it is an adventure Stilton readers will enjoy. Geronimo Stiltonoot has the right combination of familiarity and newness to satisfy Stilton fans. (Fiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-44774-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
Share your opinion of this book
More by Geronimo Stilton
BOOK REVIEW
by Geronimo Stilton & Tom Angleberger ; illustrated by Tom Angleberger
BOOK REVIEW
by Geronimo Stilton & Tom Angleberger ; illustrated by Tom Angleberger
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
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.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.