The story definitely succeeds at capturing a near-universal childhood impulse and is likely to be a preschool favorite.
A mildly interactive extension of the BBC’s popular animated series for young children.
Before starring in his own storybook app, Boj the bilby (a desert-dwelling marsupial) was delighting kids all over the U.K. with his television series for young children. In this iPad adaptation of an episode, Boj learns what a collection is. Many of his adorable, bubbly friends collect things they love: trophies, robots, hats and stuffed animals. Wanting to start a collection of his own, Boj traverses Giggly Park and gathers some seemingly insignificant treasures. When his friends question the value of his finds, Boj decides to use those items to build things that will add to his friends’ collections. This app is technologically simple. Little fingers can help Boj gather things (though the text says Boj is doing it), and finger taps summon a host of basic animated movements and interactions. Robots chirp, stuffed animals squeak, trophies sparkle. There are two games embedded within the story, one to help Boj collect items and another puzzlelike activity to help him build things. There’s an original song at the end, complete with karaoke lyrics. The only bug is a frustratingly unresponsive icon that’s supposed to take readers back to the home screen; repeated finger taps finally prevail.
The story definitely succeeds at capturing a near-universal childhood impulse and is likely to be a preschool favorite. (iPad storybook app. 2-6)Pub Date: May 19, 2014
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Box of Frogs Media
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
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Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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