It's an admirable effort with more tales promised for future release; the whole thing could stand to be a little wilder,...
A small but growing set of Aesop's fables are collected in this app and given a too-literal, but serviceable reworking.
There's a glut of what might be called Aesop's apps for the iPad; developer Razeware LLC's take is that it'll provide a story or two for free and allow readers to pay for more tales within the app. Currently there are four tales; "The Crow and the Pitcher" and "The Tortoise and the Hare" are the freebies. "The Lion and the Mouse" and "The Fox and the Grapes" are not. The adaptations are spare and short, with morals clearly spelled out on the last page ("It's easy to scorn what we cannot have," reads the one for "Grapes"). The app's mix of sprightly woodwinds and New Age–y orchestral synth, a lack of spoken narration and minimal sound effects gives it a more austere feel than is perhaps necessary. The illustrated objects—mostly animals—are large, clearly defined and lovely, but as in too many iPad story apps, most of the interaction consists of tossing animated objects (grapes, pebbles, woodland creatures) across the screen as they float about in zero-gravity–like conditions. For "The Crow and the Pitcher," readers can fill the pitcher up with these drifty pebbles; in "Tortoise," the Hare zips across the screen in a puff of smoke when touched, but other animals move like they're swimming in an aquarium filled with gravy.
It's an admirable effort with more tales promised for future release; the whole thing could stand to be a little wilder, though. (iPad storybook app. 2-7)Pub Date: March 24, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Razeware LLC
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This biblical tale is filled with wonder, hope, and beauty.
Miriam is pivotal in the story of Moses and the Exodus.
A 7-year-old girl narrates the details of the day that she heeds “God’s voice,” places her baby brother in a basket, sets him adrift in the Nile River to save him from “Pharoah’s men,” and then watches as Pharoah’s daughter rescues him. That baby boy will grow up to be Moses, and his sister is the prophet Miriam. In her author’s note, Yolen explains that she has taken this story from Exodus and from the Midrash, tales that interpret the Torah. Miriam’s story is interwoven with miracles associated with water, ranging from that basket on the Nile to the parting of the Red Sea and the life-giving water flowing from a rock that sustains the Jews wandering in the desert, but there are relatively few children’s books that place her at their center. Many celebrants of the Passover Seder sing a song honoring Miriam and will welcome a book that celebrates her childhood. It is Le’s illustrations that truly shine, however. The vibrant blues and oranges reflect both calm and swirling waters dotted with a multitude of plant life. Elegant storks wade in the water as hippos and crocodiles swim nearby.
This biblical tale is filled with wonder, hope, and beauty. (Picture book/religion. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5415-4400-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
A good choice for a late fall storytime.
Animal behaviors change as they prepare to face the winter.
Migrate, hibernate, or tolerate. With smooth rhymes and jaunty illustrations, Salas and Gévry introduce three strategies animals use for coping with winter cold. The author’s long experience in imparting information to young readers is evident in her selection of familiar animals and in her presentation. Spread by spread she introduces her examples, preparing in fall and surviving in winter. She describes two types of migration: Hummingbirds and monarchs fly, and blue whales travel to the warmth of the south; earthworms burrow deeper into the earth. Without using technical words, she introduces four forms of hibernation—chipmunks nap and snack; bears mainly sleep; Northern wood frogs become an “icy pop,” frozen until spring; and normally solitary garter snakes snuggle together in huge masses. Those who can tolerate the winter still change behavior. Mice store food and travel in tunnels under the snow; moose grow a warmer kind of fur; the red fox dives into the snow to catch small mammals (like those mice); and humans put on warm clothes and play. The animals in the soft pastel illustrations are recognizable, more cuddly than realistic, and quite appealing; their habitats are stylized. The humans represent varied ethnicities. Each page includes two levels of text, and there’s further information in the extensive backmatter. Pair with Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen’s Winter Bees (2014).
A good choice for a late fall storytime. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-2900-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
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