<i>The Hop</i> (review)
2012; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 65; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/bcc.2012.0501
ISSN1558-6766
Autores Tópico(s)American Literature and Culture
ResumoReviewed by: The Hop Jeannette Hulick Moranville, Sharelle Byars . The Hop; illus. by Niki Daly. Disney Hyperion, 2012. 276p. ISBN 978-1-4231-3736-8 $16.99 R Gr. 4-6. Taylor is an Iowa girl determined to protect a nearby natural area from developers. Tad, a young toad who lives there, is destined to save the toads of Toadville-by-Tumbledown, and he must therefore find "the Queen of the Hop" and kiss her in order to save their home from the ravages of the Rumbler (the heavy machinery sent to tear up the land). Taylor, meanwhile, reluctantly accompanies her parents to their annual rock-and-roll extravaganza in Reno; Tad also makes his way to Reno; and there the two stories finally cross paths. Savvy readers will soon figure out that it's Taylor whom Tad must kiss, and Moranville carefully crafts her story, narrated in alternating chapters by Tad and Taylor, to reach that critical point, resulting in a kiss that makes Tad human just long enough to give Taylor information that allows her to save the land. While Taylor's side of the story is the more compelling of the two narratives, Tad's toad's-eye view of the world is also fascinating in its own right. The combination is a refreshing and ultimately successful blend of animal fantasy and realistic fiction, and fans of either genre will find something to please them here. Taylor, who feels more at home with her grandmother than [End Page 519] with her overscheduled parents, is a sympathetic character to whom many middle graders will relate, and Moranville's ecological message will be eagerly received by nature-loving kids, especially fans of Gleitzman's Toad Rage (BCCB 6/04). Final illustrations not seen. Copyright © 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
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