A lazy hippo learns to lead a more active life through his love of dance in this cheery but ultimately middling story.
Oswald’s easy, floating-on-the-river lifestyle changes when he's inspired to dance at the dragonfly ballet. The laughter from his peers lets Oswald know that his clumsy moves could use work. Oswald decides to get in shape (or at least whatever passes for svelte in the hippopotamus community) and learn to dance. He gives a great performance and invites the flamingos, alligators and other hippos to join in. The brief story is enhanced by some small, unobtrusive animation, a bit of music and some very nice dragonfly-trail effects when one of them is moved around the screen. But Oswald ultimately doesn't stand out very much in his own story—quite literally. It's hard to tell him apart from other blue hippos in the story, and his year of training is over almost as soon as it begins. The animations for Oswald's dance are exuberantly rendered, and his exercise regimen is inspiring ("His sobs soon turned into moans and groans…. [E]ven though he had to work very hard, he never gave up”). Even with coloring pages and puzzles, this doesn't distinguish itself in the crowded app market. Oswald seems likable enough, but aside from a few design flourishes, his story doesn't end up living large in the imagination the way a memorable hippo's should. (iPad storybook app. 2-6)
Pub Date: July 23, 2012
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: WARE'S ME
Review Posted Online: Aug. 28, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2012
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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