Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts

February 8, 2016
Technically, the Fitzgerald-Trout children are stepsiblings, but in this quirky series kickoff—a sort of modern-day answer to the Boxcar Children—family is family. Abandoned by their various parents, Kim, Kimo, Pippa, and Toby live in a parked car on an unnamed tropical island, a setting that comes alive with its lush beaches and to-be-avoided forest filled with poisonous iguanas. Their mothers—one a wildly vain country singer, the other a stockbroker “so greedy that she wore diamonds all over herself”—stop by occasionally to give the children (barely) enough money to get by. But they are outgrowing the car and need a more permanent home. The Fitzgerald-Trouts’ struggle to find stability feels urgent throughout, but Spalding, a poet and screenwriter making her children’s book debut, balances the direness of their situation with over-the-top characters and humor-driven narration. If the story’s magic lies in its Dahl-esque approach to topics like homelessness and parental neglect, its heart lies in the relationship between these four mutually devoted children. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Jackie Kaiser, Westwood Creative Artists. Illustrator’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management.

Four loosely related kids share different combinations of absent mothers and fathers as they quite capably raise themselves on the beach of a desert island. Narrator Caitlin Kelly enthusiastically recounts their adventures and misadventures as they try to find a house to replace the too small car they've been living in. Kim, Kimo, Peppa, and Toby each are given unique voices that mirror their personalities. Kelly's delivery is full of energy and expert pacing, adding nuance to the humor and giving the listener plenty of reasons to cheer for these quick-witted, resilient kids. The PDF file of map and illustrations enhances the listening experience, letting listeners enter the world of the amazing Fitzgerald-Trout family. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine