The characters are cute and colorful, but they’re not strong enough to carry this weak storyline and flawed interface to a...
An interactive exploration of what might have happened after the Tortoise bested the Hare.
The story begins with Sheldon the tortoise standing on the podium, waving his golden trophy. Just below him are the sulking Hare and a seemingly content mole. Animal spectators are celebrating Sheldon’s win—but when Sheldon goes to bed one night, a hare posse sneaks in and steals his beloved prize. Sheldon recovers the trophy (seemingly by telekinesis), but in a spectacular anticlimax, a mole subsequently steals it and scurries down a deep underground pathway, never to be seen again. Interactions are plenteous, if not exciting. With a simple tap, leaves fall, animals make sounds, a light switches off, and a scuffle commences—nothing groundbreaking. There’s a cute sequence in which readers help Sheldon escape from the hare mob and another in which they help assemble a makeshift replacement trophy. The main problem with this app is that it’s not particularly well-designed. In select places, the visuals and interactions don’t match the text description. For example, the narrator says, “Oh no! The hares have stolen the trophy!” while the golden prize is still sitting on Sheldon’s nightstand. Screen transitions are universally sluggish.
The characters are cute and colorful, but they’re not strong enough to carry this weak storyline and flawed interface to a first-place finish. (iPad storybook app. 2-5)Pub Date: April 24, 2014
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Bee Square
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 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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