Julia's House for Lost Creatures
Ben Hatke
ISBN: 9781596438668
By the author of Zita the Spacegirl. Julia's house is built onto a giant tortoise, and it's moved in to a lovely spot by the sea - but things are too lonely! So Julia puts out a sign advertising space for Lost creatures, and boy do they show up in droves. The company is great, but the extra housework and messes not so much. How will Julia solve her problem and keep her new friends at her house?
Ribbit!
Rodrigo Folgueira, illustrated by Poly Bernatene
ISBN: 9780307981462
The frog family are distressed by a large pink visitor that only says "Ribbit!" and they work themselves (and a lot of rubbernecking forest creatures) up into a frenzy worrying about this strange pig and what terrible things it could possibly want with them. Finally the Wise Old Beetle offers some common sense, but it's too late for the frogs - or, maybe not? Are frogs afraid of heights? "Tweet tweet!"
If I Had a Gryphon
Vikki Vansickle, illustrated by Cale Atkinson
ISBN: 9781770498099
A dark brown girl laments in rhyming couplets about how ANY fantastical pet would be a better option than her current disappointing hamster. Until she gets a bit further into the scenarios, and realizes that perhaps a fantastical pet may have some significant downsides. Cute and quick, despite covering a lot of ground. Reads VERY fast.
Showing posts with label Ben Hatke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ben Hatke. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Short Reviews: June 2013. Zita the Spacegirl, Hereville: Mirka, Garden Princess
Zita
the Spacegirl: Far from Home (Book 1), &
Legends of Zita the Spacegirl (Book 2), Ben Hatke (author & illustrator)
ISBN: 978-1596436954 & ISBN: 978-1596438064
Summer 2011 & June 27, 2013
Juv Graphic Novel: In the first installment, Zita jumps into a space portal to save her best friend from being sacrificed on a far-away world as a prophecy fortold, picking up a crew of random down-and-out lifeforms along the way. In the second, a holographic recorder-bot sees a poster for the now-famous Zita, and impersonates her, while Zita gets branded a criminal in her attempts to rectify the situation. BOTH EXELLENT, although book 2 gives short shrift to the backup characters from book 1, and sets Zita up to head off alone, so we may not get much of them in book 3 either, which is sad.
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword (vol 1) and
How Mirka Met a Meteorite (vol 2), Barry Deutsch.
ISBN: 978-0810984226, 978-1419703980
Spring 2011, June 26, 2013.
Juvenile Graphic Novel: Odd little fairy-style stories with a kick-ass heroine that reminds me strongly of the Hale's Rapunzel's Revenge. Orthodox Judaism does feature strongly, but it's less religious and more cultural.
Garden Princess, Kristin Kladstrup. ISBN: 978-0763656850
June 26, 2013
Juvenile fantasy, "ordinary princess" style. Adela isn't beautiful, and doesn't like to be "princessy" - she'd rather garden. But when her very handsome friend and her equally beautiful step-sister get invited to a garden party by mysterious Lady Hortensia, Adela just has to come along to see the garden. Hortensia is a HORRIBLE name, the story isn't too original, but - turning a thieving guest into a magpie and an "ordinary" princess into a dandelion is delicious, and the scenes of lovestruck courtiers failing miserably at housekeeping were hysterical.
Legends of Zita the Spacegirl (Book 2), Ben Hatke (author & illustrator)
ISBN: 978-1596436954 & ISBN: 978-1596438064
Summer 2011 & June 27, 2013
Juv Graphic Novel: In the first installment, Zita jumps into a space portal to save her best friend from being sacrificed on a far-away world as a prophecy fortold, picking up a crew of random down-and-out lifeforms along the way. In the second, a holographic recorder-bot sees a poster for the now-famous Zita, and impersonates her, while Zita gets branded a criminal in her attempts to rectify the situation. BOTH EXELLENT, although book 2 gives short shrift to the backup characters from book 1, and sets Zita up to head off alone, so we may not get much of them in book 3 either, which is sad.
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword (vol 1) and
How Mirka Met a Meteorite (vol 2), Barry Deutsch.
ISBN: 978-0810984226, 978-1419703980
Spring 2011, June 26, 2013.
Juvenile Graphic Novel: Odd little fairy-style stories with a kick-ass heroine that reminds me strongly of the Hale's Rapunzel's Revenge. Orthodox Judaism does feature strongly, but it's less religious and more cultural.
Garden Princess, Kristin Kladstrup. ISBN: 978-0763656850
June 26, 2013
Juvenile fantasy, "ordinary princess" style. Adela isn't beautiful, and doesn't like to be "princessy" - she'd rather garden. But when her very handsome friend and her equally beautiful step-sister get invited to a garden party by mysterious Lady Hortensia, Adela just has to come along to see the garden. Hortensia is a HORRIBLE name, the story isn't too original, but - turning a thieving guest into a magpie and an "ordinary" princess into a dandelion is delicious, and the scenes of lovestruck courtiers failing miserably at housekeeping were hysterical.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)