Bird & Squirrel Archives -

A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs

October 11, 2018
goodreadswithronna
Ages 12 and up, Bird & Squirrel, Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Paranormal and Urban, Sci-fi, Science Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy, YA Fiction

A MAP OF DAYS
Written by Ransom Riggs
(Dutton BYR; $22.99, Ages 12 and up)

An Amazon Best Book of October 2018

The much-awaited fourth Ransom Riggs YA novel in the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series, A Map of Days, picks up where book three ended, in current-time Florida. Immediately we are reintroduced to Jacob Portman, Miss Peregrine, and her wards. Yet, for those of us who read the trilogy, then saw Tim Burton’s 2016 feature film adaptation, we need to reorient ourselves. In the film, Grandfather Abe ends up alive and the two main female characters’ powers are reversed. Remember, it’s Emma who can make fire with her hands and Olive who’s lighter than air. The clan arrives to stop Jacob’s family from committing him to a mental-health institution.

I like that A Map of Days explores the confusing romance between teen-aged Jacob and Emma (who was Jacob’s grandfather’s time-arrested ex-girlfriend). What a bizarre love triangle with Emma trapped in a loop for fifty years, pining after Abe as he traveled the globe, aged, and had a family of his own. Will Jacob—even with powers similar to Abe’s—ever fill his grandfather’s hollowgast monster-hunting shoes?

int photo from A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs — Interior image from A Map of Days written by Ransom Riggs, Dutton BYR ©2018.

The book’s title refers to the temporal atlas that pinpoints the location of time loops in the peculiar (supernormal) world. In the US, these loops are largely unmapped and unknown. Finding or creating an American Map of Days is a priority for Miss Peregrine and the other ymbryines (shape-shifting matriarchs of peculiardom) because the country is fractured by feuding clans and lacks centralized peculiar authority. Jacob, after his prior successes, feels ready to take on an important role, not fully understanding the awaiting dangers—and that’s where this adventure leads.

Fans will enjoy the array of vintage photos scattered throughout the novel and should find the addition of full-color photos appealing as well. With over ten million copies in print of the first three novels, the popularity of this series cannot be overstated. Collectively, the books have spent 100 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list.

Here’s a link to A Map of Days Book Tour.
Start reading A Map of Days here.
See a trailer here.

Reviewed by Christine Van Zandt

Writer, editor, and owner of Write for Success www.Write-for-Success.com

@WFSediting, Christine@Write-for-Success.com

Bird & Squirrel on Ice by James Burks

March 19, 2015
goodreadswithronna
Ages 7-10, Animal - Penguins, Bird & Squirrel, Children's Book Reviews, Graphic Novel, Humorous Stories, Juvenile Fiction, Series Characters

Bird & Squirrel on Ice

Written and illustrated by James Burks

(Scholastic/Graphix; $8.99, Ages 7-10)

I knew I was in for a treat when I picked up James Burks’ most recent Bird & Squirrel graphic novel called Bird & Squirrel on Ice. This second book in the series brings the buddies to the South Pole where they’ve crash-landed, despite Bird’s over-confident insistence on calling it “Another perfect landing!” They immediately encounter spear-wielding Sakari, an absolutely adorable purple-hued penguin who proclaims Bird to be The Chosen One.

“Legend tells of a day when a winged bird will fall from above …
And bring peace and prosperity to our penguin village.”

But there’s a catch. Being The Chosen One means battling to free the villagers from the voracious and exhausting appetite of The Great Whale. It doesn’t take long before the honor of becoming The Chosen One goes straight to Bird’s head, annoying the heck out of Squirrel. However, Bird’s antics while soaking up his newly found celebrity, will crack kids up! Burks definitely gets the mix of humor and adventure right in Bird & Squirrel on Ice, and is certain to pull in even reluctant readers. His colorful characters, gallivanting through panels filled with lots of chilly blues, are perfect for the South Pole setting. Scenes of ice and snow are fantastic as are all the ones including the penguin villagers and The Great Whale.

When Squirrel and Sakari learn that Bird is actually going to be sacrificed to appease the whale “for the good of the village,” these two team up and eventually get a rather reluctant Bird on board. The buddies and their penguin pal launch a last-ditch effort to save Bird from being served up as whale food and in doing so demonstrate the bonds of friendship and trust. This fast-paced story with its fantastic artwork and several satisfying plotlines invites multiple reads for those just getting into graphic novels, as well as for those more well-versed in the pleasures of this format.