developed by iAdverti s.r.o. ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 22, 2011
The story of Jesus’ birth (and beyond) as told by illustrations and hefty portions of Scripture.
Beginning with John the Baptist’s impending birth and ending with Christ’s baptism (at age 30) makes the title a bit of a stretch. Comprised of “Nazarene School Black and White Pictures” that have been colorized, the Renaissance-style characters appear to have been cut out and hung over the backdrop, which makes them 3-D-ish. The “amazing effects” listed in the developer’s description consist of bobbing characters, extinguishable flames, moveable clouds and occasional sound effects (none of which are amazing). Chunks of Biblical scripture are interspersed between image screens, but there's no narration. One illustration depicts the aftermath of King Herod’s edict to kill all male children under the age of 2; it’s not gory, but a pile of dead babies on the floor may disturb some. There are 11 language options and though the developer claims that tilting or turning the device will switch the text from one tongue to another, that feature is buggy on the iPad 2.The best thing about this app is the musical bonus feature, which offers six a cappella songs that sound like a cross between Enya and chanting monks. A dull digital parade of scripture and spiffed-up Sunday school pictures that add neither depth nor dimension to the season’s celebration. (iPad storybook app. 5-10)
Pub Date: Nov. 22, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: iAdverti s.r.o.
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2011
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More by Martin Nikodym
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by Martin Nikodym & photographed by Martin Nikodym & developed by iAdverti s.r.o.
by Loren Long & illustrated by Loren Long ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2009
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
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by Loren Long ; illustrated by Loren Long
by Loren Long ; illustrated by Loren Long
by Loren Long ; illustrated by Loren Long
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More About This Book
SEEN & HEARD
by Pete Seeger & Paul Dubois Jacobs & illustrated by Michael Hays ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2001
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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More by Pete Seeger
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by Pete Seeger & Paul Dubois Jacobs & illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
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by Pete Seeger & Paul Dubois Jacobs & illustrated by Michael Hays
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adapted by Pete Seeger & illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin
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