ALA Booklist

Rink Bowagon is not like other boys. Not only does he live on Lonesome Mountain, a hotbed of strange and exotic talents, but he is shy, quiet, and sprouts flowers from his body during each full moon. Shunned at school, Rink keeps to himself--until a kind, honest girl named Angelina Quiz with a short right leg joins his class. Rink instantly likes her and decides to ask her to the school dance, painstakingly crafting her a pair of snakeskin party shoes with one extra-thick right sole to balance her out. When Rink shows up at Angelina's door with green shoes and pink roses in hand (they had previously sprouted from his head), her heart flips, and the rest is history. This quirky, beautifully told story of individuality, love, and kindness (and the benefits of corrective shoes!) is illustrated with soft, luminous acrylics on visibly textured board. Artful compositions, intriguingly varied perspectives, and a gorgeous palette make these whimsical, expressive paintings suitable for framing. An odd, lovely offering.

Horn Book

Social outcast Rink Bowagon's body sprouts flowers whenever there's a full moon; one of charismatic new student Angelina Quiz's legs is an inch shorter than the other. What Rink does to cultivate a friendship is moving, and Angelina's secret--which cements their loyalty--provides a fitting conclusion. The acrylic-on-board illustrations are richly painted and alluringly mysterious.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Children who struggle to fit in at school will find a hero in the star of this debut children's book. Rink Bowagon has an unusual quirk: his body sprouts flowers at the first sign of a full moon. "Shy and quiet and different," Rink is shunned by the other kids, who are afraid too of his oddball family, which includes rattlesnake tamers and shape-shifters. One day a new girl appears at school. With her "easy manner [and] luminous smile," Angelina Quiz fits right in, even though her right leg is shorter than her left. Rick finds her "forthright and honest, yet always kind," and Angelina is intrigued too ("She marveled at how his absence could take the shine off such a pretty, sunny day"). A friendship blossoms when Rink makes Angelina a pair of special snakeskin shoes that allow her to dance. Adams's incandescent illustrations, painted on textured boards in deep blues and green integrate flowers and full moons scattered across the pages, and the characters' faces look almost beatific. The story's latter half focuses on the growing connection between Rink and Angelina. If the narrative doesn't follow through on its early promise of helping young readers understand the beauty of being different, it will remind them of the power of kindness. Ages 4-8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Oct.)

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3-Everyone in Rink Bowagon's family is a little different. His uncle trains rattlesnakes and his siblings and cousins are all shape-shifters. The boy has a special quirkiness all his own. On nights when there is a full moon, he sprouts beautiful, perfect, fragrant flowers from his body. At school, he is quiet and shy, and the other children keep their distance from him. One day, Angelina joins his class and all of the students vie for her attention. She has her own gift and recognizes what a special boy Rink really is. Together, their story is one that celebrates individuality and self-acceptance. The illustrations are done in acrylics on board and the way the texture of the wood shows through gives the lovely paintings a folksy quality. The luminous scenes and soulful relationship between Rink and Angelina make this story a joy to read.-Genevieve Gallagher, Murray Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.