Low-rent graphics and interactive effects perfectly complement a stultifyingly bland prehistoric tale
A little pterodactyl is teased by his wingless peers.
The titular young pterodactyl, who “just want[s]to be normal,” is mocked by bullies who “[think] his wings [are] strange and weird,” snubbed when he tries to throw a party and then, following a bit of parental comfort, assaulted with snowballs. After all this, one of the onlookers, Bailey the Brachiosaurus, apologizes for his inaction, and the two go off to dance around “in the prehistoric sun.” Notwithstanding a reference to “vast snowy plains,” the brightly colored cartoon figures seem to live in sunny, woodland glades—and a good thing too, as reptiles are not known to thrive in snow. They rock stiffly back and forth or move a little, disappear or otherwise respond reluctantly to persistent taps and swipes. Children have the option of listening to a wooden reading of the awkwardly written narrative, choosing “Read Myself” mode (which also cuts off the background music) or dispensing with visible text entirely to make party balloons pop, scribble on a coloring page, or play with the rudimentary, slow-to-reload pinball game and two other simple appended activities.
Low-rent graphics and interactive effects perfectly complement a stultifyingly bland prehistoric tale . (iPad storybook app. 6-8)Pub Date: June 22, 2014
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Translucent Computing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
The wriggly narrator of Diary of a Worm (2003) puts in occasional appearances, but it’s his arachnid buddy who takes center stage here, with terse, tongue-in-cheek comments on his likes (his close friend Fly, Charlotte’s Web), his dislikes (vacuums, people with big feet), nervous encounters with a huge Daddy Longlegs, his extended family—which includes a Grandpa more than willing to share hard-won wisdom (The secret to a long, happy life: “Never fall asleep in a shoe.”)—and mishaps both at spider school and on the human playground. Bliss endows his garden-dwellers with faces and the odd hat or other accessory, and creates cozy webs or burrows colorfully decorated with corks, scraps, plastic toys and other human detritus. Spider closes with the notion that we could all get along, “just like me and Fly,” if we but got to know one another. Once again, brilliantly hilarious. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-000153-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Joanna Cotler/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2005
A fair choice, but it may need some support to really blast off.
This rocket hopes to take its readers on a birthday blast—but there may or may not be enough fuel.
Once a year, a one-seat rocket shoots out from Earth. Why? To reveal a special congratulatory banner for a once-a-year event. The second-person narration puts readers in the pilot’s seat and, through a (mostly) ballad-stanza rhyme scheme (abcb), sends them on a journey toward the sun, past meteors, and into the Kuiper belt. The final pages include additional information on how birthdays are measured against the Earth’s rotations around the sun. Collingridge aims for the stars with this title, and he mostly succeeds. The rhyme scheme flows smoothly, which will make listeners happy, but the illustrations (possibly a combination of paint with digital enhancements) may leave the viewers feeling a little cold. The pilot is seen only with a 1960s-style fishbowl helmet that completely obscures the face, gender, and race by reflecting the interior of the rocket ship. This may allow readers/listeners to picture themselves in the role, but it also may divest them of any emotional connection to the story. The last pages—the backside of a triple-gatefold spread—label the planets and include Pluto. While Pluto is correctly labeled as a dwarf planet, it’s an unusual choice to include it but not the other dwarfs: Ceres, Eris, etc. The illustration also neglects to include the asteroid belt or any of the solar system’s moons.
A fair choice, but it may need some support to really blast off. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: July 31, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-18949-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: David Fickling/Phoenix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2018
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