King of the Mole People (Book 1)

Written and illustrated by Paul Gilligan

Henry Holt & Co.

978-1-25017-134-4

272 pp.

Ages 8-12

August 2019

...I was never aiming for popular. All I wanted was to somehow claw my way up the ladder to a comfortable middle rung. (pg. 116)

Doug accepts that he's weird but he hates it, especially when bullies like Ed and Ted and popular girl Becky and her Binkettes call him so. But what makes him weird?  He lives in Dreadsville Manor adjacent to a graveyard. His father's prime cooking ingredient is eels. And he's been crowned King of the Mole People after King Zog (there are actually 16 O's in his name) disappears. It's no wonder he craves normalcy. So he makes a plan to participate in school activities, crush on a girl, get a friend, learn to tell jokes and even just eat regular sandwiches for lunch. Unfortunately his good efforts continue to be thwarted.

From King of the Mole People by Paul Gilligan

His friend Simon is becoming less friendly. His efforts at school participation at the rocket club, the school play and at soccer club are epic fails. And he keeps getting summoned to the underworld of the Mole People–crowns etched in the dirt or with mud–where the Royal Advisor, Croogoolooth, both manipulates and disrespects Doug. Fortunately his Royal Guard, a trio of Mole People, support his efforts and continue with the last king's positive attitude about the Up-worlders.

From King of the Mole People by Paul Gilligan

But things above ground and below are getting more weird. Kids are disappearing into holes, at least temporarily, and Doug is welcomed into groups that had rejected him earlier. Below ground, the Mole People have been helping themselves to Up-stuff and clogging their world below with everything from bicycles to fencing, stage lights and water jugs. Keeping his two worlds separate becomes harder and harder, especially with classmate Magda spying on him and with the Underworld in danger of attack by Mega-worms. Worse still, Doug is compelled to help those who trusted him, even if he has to negotiate with the Slug People, the Mushroom Folk, and the Stone Goons to achieve cooperation.

From King of the Mole People by Paul Gilligan

With the right blend of humour, irreverence and weird fantasy, Paul Gilligan will get middle-graders rolling on the floor with belly laughs for his story and his illustrations. His characters are goofy, their circumstances bizarre and his plot lines both ludicrous and entertaining. It's impossible not to laugh at a dad who makes eel pudding or a society where O's in your name denote status or where a king's throne is a painfully pointy rock. Yet in all this absurdity there is an ordinary that most children will understand. Most children just want to fit in. So with a message of self-acceptance, whether it be for a human or a Mole Person, King of the Mole People speaks to many children who will understand when Doug is eventually pleased to return to his "regular level of unpopularity" and accept his differences as normal.

Danny, Who Fell in a Hole

Written by Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Milan Pavlovic
Groundwood Books
978-1-55498-311-7
116 pp.
Ages 7-11
2013

Danny, Who Fell in a Hole is about a boy named Danny who, you guessed it, fell in a hole.  Yep. It's true.  And the answers to the questions of why Danny fell in the hole, what happened when he fell in the hole, and how he gets out of the hole, are essentially the whole story of Danny, Who Fell in a Hole.  Fortunately, with Cary Fagan's honest humour and Milan Pavlovic's quirky illustrations, the reader can be assured that Danny's story will be more farcical than tragic.

Danny's parents seem to be the new sort that decide to put their own needs ahead of those of their children, planning to temporarily part ways so that they might pursue their separate creative interests.  Mom plans on moving to Banff to extend her cheesecake-baking talents, while Dad will be heading to New York City to explore opera singing.  But, there are no worries about the kids, Danny and his older brother Doug (who would probably accept their decision more easily because of his musical creativity), as Mom and Dad have already decided about living arrangements, even giving their dog Thwack away to a nearby farm before springing their news on their children.  Not surprising, Danny does not take the news well, grabbing his backpack and running off and unfortunately falling into a large hole on a construction site.

Mom and Dad may have been expecting Danny to find it difficult to accept their decision,

"Danny, we knew it would be a little harder for you.  You're the level-headed one in the family.  It's not your fault that you're not creative like the rest of us." (pg. 14)

but they could not have foreseen the character and maturity he demonstrates while trapped in that hole.  Not only does he complete his math homework and write a family zombie story, he devises some shelter from the rain, plays a harmonica for a visiting mole, comes up with some imaginative definitions for a vocabulary assignment, and saves a life.  Not bad for a child with no creativity!

Cary Fagan does not disappoint, taking Danny from the incredulous son of self-indulgent parents to the practical boy who takes inventory of his backpack's contents, always playing out in his mind what his parents would be thinking or saying.

   Hey, Sheila, you don't suppose our son has run away?
   No, not Danny.  He's too sensible. Doesn't have the imagination. (pg. 43)

As imaginative as Danny, Cary Fagan conceives a chatty Mole with the casual demeanour of one who speaks his mind, without being catty or cagey.   

"Hey, Darnit, you seem a little down in the dung." (pg. 73)

"Problem with ants, you eat a few dozen and you're hungry half an hour later." (pg. 79)

While young readers may connect with the shortcomings of Danny's parents', and delight in the boy's quest for some say in the direction his life was taking, Cary Fagan ensures that everyone is able to see the other perspective without giving in or up.  With lightness and the clarity that comes from being stuck in a dark hole, both Danny and his parents are able find their way out of the void and come up for air, sharing it with those who might have sought to suck the life out of their lives.

So, if you ever fall into a hole, keep your head, share your thoughts, and keep working until you find your way above ground.  Danny, Who Fell in a Hole did and everything worked out the better for it.

Miss Mousie's Blind Date

by Tim Beiser

Illustrated by Rachel Berman

Tundra Books

978-1-77049-251-6

24 pp.

Ages 4-7

2012

"Spring is such a funny thing-

it wakes up all the plants

And makes our furry woodland friends

go cuckoo for romance.

And so it was, one day in May,

when stopping by the deli,

Miss Mousie's eye fell on a guy

who turned her knees to jelly." (pg. 2)

In its refreshing take on the theme of finding love where least expected, Miss Mousie's Blind Date starts with Miss Mousie spotting the debonair Matt LaBatt, the water rat, with his handsome looks and lemon yellow teeth.  Unfortunately Miss Mousie's attempts to attract his attention are scuttled when she hears him call her the "fat girl".

Such a blow to her fragile ego sends Miss Mousie to hide herself in her burrow to avoid further ridicule.  But an unexpected invitation to dinner and its surprising outcome leave Miss Mousie with her dignity restored and a quickening in her heart.

Tim Beiser and Rachel Berman's first collaboration, Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog (Tundra, 2009), resulted in nominations for the Blue Spruce Award, the Chocolate Lily Book Award, the Governor General's Award for Children's Fiction Illustration, and the CBA Libris Award for Children's Picture Book of the Year.  And the same sweet rhyming and endearing illustrations are evident in Miss Mousie's Blind Date, making it another charmed read.  

While romance may seem an unusual theme for readers of picture books, no young reader will see anything but lightheartedness in the soft, not fat, Miss Mousie in her adorable millinery and her hopeful expectations for possible love.  The perfect collaboration of Tim Beiser and Rachel Berman takes Miss Mousie from crushing on the handsome rat to despairing over his disregard for her and finally to delight, with an ending that will please even those too young to know the pangs of first love but will understand the value of being oneself.