This was fantastic. I haven't read the first in the series, but I definitely intend to work my way backwards and pick it up, because this was just enjThis was fantastic. I haven't read the first in the series, but I definitely intend to work my way backwards and pick it up, because this was just enjoyable through and through. My one complaint is that the transitions are very jumpy, which I think was intentional -- like a movie jump-cut for effect, meant to be jarring and normally funny or provide contrast with the scene before -- but it made it slightly confusing, or made it just feel like something was missing on occasion. But still, really enjoyed this and recommend for young readers. And the coloring? Swoon....more
I mean, this series is so cute. It's silly and bold, with fantastic cartoony art, and is sure to find a receptive and happy audience among young readeI mean, this series is so cute. It's silly and bold, with fantastic cartoony art, and is sure to find a receptive and happy audience among young readers. Great for read alongs with even younger readers!...more
This review was part of a blog tour in which I also talked about my 2 favorite fairy tale adaptations, so if you'd like to hear me gush about those, mThis review was part of a blog tour in which I also talked about my 2 favorite fairy tale adaptations, so if you'd like to hear me gush about those, make sure to check out the full post.
Mighty Jack is a retelling of one of my "problem" fairy tales, Jack and the Beanstalk. Like all kids, I loved this tale as a kid, because it frankly doesn't get much more silly or whimsical than this (in mainstream fairy tales, at least). THAT SAID, even as a kid, Jack really bothered me. REALLY bothered me. I mean, selling the cow for beans is bad enough (you fool!), but repeatedly breaking into a giant's house and stealing his ish is a whole other level — and then Jack has THE NERVE to kill the giant over it! And is considered a hero! That's messed up.
So Jack and the Beanstalk has never sat right with me, even though I still kinda love it. (It's iconic!)
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But a Ben Hatke retelling of the story. . . now that's something I can get behind. Hatke interprets the tale in very clever modern ways, but the smartest thing he's done is to capitalize on the whimsy while also giving Jack a lot of heart. He's not the thoughtless, foolish, selfish boy of the original, but a caring, compassionate and only-sometimes-foolish brother, son, and friend. Circumstances (and beans. Lots of beans) conspire against him to make him seem thoughtless, when really he's trying so hard, and has so much weight on his young shoulders, and it makes for such an engaging and sympathetic take on the character. He's a young kid who genuinely cares for and is trying to protect his overworked mother and autistic sister, and he kinda keeps drawing the short straw— mostly due to magic beans. (Of all kinds. Hand-beans that throw things at you. Beans that explode. Beans that want to eat you...)
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One of my favorite things about Hatke's stories is the amazing female characters he creates. I'd imagine it's in large part due to the gaggle of fierce, creative, amazing daughters he has, but whatever the reason, these are the types of stories and characters I longed for (and struggled to find) as a kid. Of course, his characters are great across the board, always; it's one of the things he excels at, and one of the reasons I love his stories so. And he always gets me with those damn quirky, should-be-inanimate characters. Rocks. Robots. An onion/turnip/mandrake thingy that, okay, I don't even know what is this or why, but I love it and I want one. (But a not-probably-evil one. A Gizmo, not a gremlin.)
And of course, the art is fantastic. The line work is delicate and fantastical, the coloring soft and dreamy, and all of it expressive and clean and beautiful. I've never, in any of Hatke's books, had a single complaint about the art or his ability to craft a story. (And fans of the Zita series might see a familiar face or two...) Also, it's really funny; did I mention that it was really funny?
And that's probably all I should say, other than: you should definitely pick this up. If you're a fairy tale fan, pick it up. If you're a Ben Hatke fan, pick it up. If you're a comic and graphic novel fan, pick it up. If you have kids (in your classroom; visiting your library; expelled from your uterus), pick it up and read it with them. It has the heart and the art I've come to associate with Ben Hatke, and both of things are all you really need to know to know it's going to be good. And I'll just be over here, *patiently* waiting for book 2.
...and, err... Sorry for all of the ellipses and parentheses and em-dashes and run-ons... I ramble when I talk about fairy tales and things I like....more
3.75 Very cute, with a good dose of unexpected humor and tons of information about coral reefs, ocean animals and ecosystems in general. Probably a gre3.75 Very cute, with a good dose of unexpected humor and tons of information about coral reefs, ocean animals and ecosystems in general. Probably a great one for classrooms....more
I think this would be excellent for classrooms, for teaching children about concrete poetry or showing them that poetry in general doesn't have to be I think this would be excellent for classrooms, for teaching children about concrete poetry or showing them that poetry in general doesn't have to be stuffy, serious, or full of bad rhymes. Beyond that, though, I think older audiences will find the poems too simplistic and sometimes pointless, and may not be as engaged. ...more
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It's not news to anyone who's hung around my blog/vlog for any length of time that I love the work of Ben Hatke. (Also not news to anyone w
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It's not news to anyone who's hung around my blog/vlog for any length of time that I love the work of Ben Hatke. (Also not news to anyone who read that intro, so. . .) I've talked about this many, many times, and pushed his books on many, many people, both online and IRL. So of course, I'm always looking forward to whatever's coming up next, confident in the belief that whatever it is is sure to brighten my shelves. And Little Robot is no exception to that rule.
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Little Robot follows in the tradition of plucky young female protagonists and their oddball companions, set by Julia's House for Lost Creatures
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and the Zita the Spacegirl
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series. Unlike Hatke's previous books, Little Robot is nearly wordless (and of the words that make it to the page, most of them are in robot, so...), though its no less full of story as a result.
If there's anything Hatke excels at, it's injecting as much personality as possible into every frame, every character, every inanimate object -- and yes, I mean that literally. More than once, this man has made me have feels about rocks, literal rocks with eyeballs, and monsters, and what may have been a giant coil of hair or wire or something, I don't even know, but it, too. And yes, robots.
Hatke is an excellent anthropomorphosizererer, skillfully drawing the reader into caring about even the smallest and most unimposing of creatures/creations, with an immediacy that is impressive. You can't help but fall for our little unnamed adventurer and her newfound robot companion, and once you've decided to care about them, well, you may as well care about the pile of broken machinery in the junkyard, too, right? And that perky little fixer robot-bug-thingy, he's quite adorable now, isn't he? Hatke draws you into their magical little world so seemlessly that it seems obvious that you'd love these things. Of course you want to join our lonely little adventurer girl, let her lead you on explorations and discoveries, and bring smiles to each others faces.
Lest you think Hatke's books are just cute, but inconsequential, they most certainly are not. The robots and their nameless human girl may draw you in with their sweetness, but there's depth there, too. There's a loneliness and sense of longing to the story that grounds it and makes it stick with you. I think at the core of all of Hatke's stories, there's a thread of "finding your people," even if those "people" aren't people. They're all about finding your place, your companion(s), your way in the world. Hatke's characters stumble upon each other by chance and it's as if a missing piece has been found; they fit together perfectly. It's charming and sweet and funny and real, and I think you can see why I end up singing his praises so often... And this time around, I was getting double-feels because it reminded me of another nearly-wordless, unlikely robot companion story, Robot Dreams
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, that is just one of the bestweirdestawesomest things I've ever read. So this is in excellent company.
And of course, of course, the art is gorgeous. So what's not to like?
Cute and funny; think I liked this more than Giants Beware (although it's hard to beat baby-feet-eating Giants...). Video review here.Cute and funny; think I liked this more than Giants Beware (although it's hard to beat baby-feet-eating Giants...). Video review here....more
It's been months now since I read this, and since I skipped the 3rd book (couldn't get into it at the time and still haven't gone back), I don't know It's been months now since I read this, and since I skipped the 3rd book (couldn't get into it at the time and still haven't gone back), I don't know how much my reading & memory of this has been affected -- but I definitely don't think anything's captured the magic of the first book. Still fun, though, and I liked the new perspective. I love a good whimsical created world, I truly do, but I think the thing I love even more is when that whimsy spills over into our own world, seeps into our history and our ways of life, and tints it all in rose-colored magic. I love the places your mind can go with the alternate universes's"new information," and I love seeing how real people and events shape the authors decisions, and then our world is reshaped by those decisions, and on and on in this intricate tangle of real and make-believe. It delights the child and the creative person in me, as well as the absurdist, and this scene let me know that Fairyland number 4 would give me that in abundance — at least for a little while... ...more
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