September 15, 2015
Clover must take care of the Magical Animal Adoption Agency when Mr. Jams leaves her alone again. After volunteering at the agency in the magical wood near her decidedly mundane town, Clover was able to outsmart a witch and save a kitten, and it wasn't just luck (Clover's Luck, 2015). Now Mr. Jams has brought in a giant, mysterious egg. No one knows what is in the egg, but Clover feels drawn to it. When Mr. Jams goes in search of a magical egg expert, Clover's left in charge of the egg, along with fairy horses, unicorns with allergies, and the customers (like ghosts and leprechauns) coming in search of magical animals to adopt. A kindle of magical kittens and some giants who aren't sure Clover is up to the job of running the agency complicate matters...and then the egg hatches. When the still-unknown inhabitant of the egg is nowhere to be found, Clover is suddenly totally unsure that a nonmagical, quite ordinary girl is up to the tasks at hand. George's second magical adventure is as sweet and innocuous as the first. Clover doubts herself and accidents happen, but all threats are of the nonthreatening variety, and all ends well. Graduates of sparkly chapter-book series will be right at home and looking for the next installment posthaste. (Fantasy. 7-10)
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January 1, 2016
Now that Clover is a seasoned Magical Animal Adoption Agency volunteer, Mr. Jams leaves her in charge while he seeks a mysterious egg specialist. All alone, Clover must deal with the hatched egg, and the myriad creatures seeking magical pets. George's second installment offers an accessible narrative tempered by a clever, thoughtful protagonist. Light pencil sketches capture the story's whimsy.
(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)