There's lots of room for improvement, specifically in the storytelling (of which there is very little). But as an...
A likable-enough new app series that takes place in a magical traveling circus still feels like it's finding its (trapeze) footing.
Available currently as a free introductory app and a second paid app, the stories are about top-hat–wearing, red-mustache–bearing Bita and his crew of magical performers. Bita himself has a neat trick: He can produce an entire gigantic circus tent from a small bottle he carries in his coat pocket. The first app introduces such characters as the strongman Rudolfo, the magician Oto, a contortionist, a tightrope walker and a clown who can blow up his body. (No worries: It's more like disassembled puzzle pieces and not at all bloody.) Unfortunately, it's little more than colorful character sketches cleverly advertising the rest of the series. The second app shows an actual performance and tackles an occupational hazard: The exploding clown keeps falling apart whenever he sneezes. The stiff text reads as if translated by an amateur ("It was night and he needed to rest before beginning the work of his magic-and-still-mysterious circus, at least for those people"). But the illustrations are warm and beautifully colored, characterized by simple shapes and bold lines. The performers manage to stand out from stereotypical circus types with what are hinted to be magical powers.
There's lots of room for improvement, specifically in the storytelling (of which there is very little). But as an introduction to a potentially interesting new world, it's worth a peek under the big top. (iPad storybook app. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 20, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Mr. Plot
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2012
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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