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MELVIN SAYS THERE'S MONSTERS

Name: MELVIN SAYS THERE'S MONSTERS
Author: Brendan Gallagher

by Brendan Gallagher & illustrated by Hatem Aly & developed by Out To Play Interactive ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

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Diminutive Melvin, “this weird kid at my school with crooked eyes and bushy hair,” loves to scare his would-be friends out of their candy with tales of the monsters who wait in their closets at night. The kids laugh, but, in bed, those who laughed at Melvin cower; the next day they’re handing over their snacks for monster advice. Snarky and sophisticated, the app features understated yet cinematic animation bringing to life Aly’s lively illustrations. The app is a study in restraint; its menu, ever-present in the top-left corner of a border that surrounds the story, has only three options. The “Read to me” voiceover is well-acted, but could be confusing for beginning readers—in several instances, the narration doesn’t match the accompanying text word-for-word. The app’s biggest problem is the titular character, a creepy, two-faced liar who isn’t redeemed. He’s apparently allowed by the narrator, a schoolmate, to keep on taking advantage of other kids for their treats. At least the app design, unlike Melvin, shows restraint; it’s not overloaded with sugar-high excess. (iPad storybook app. 5-8)

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2010

RANDY RAINBOW AND THE MARVELOUSLY MAGICAL PINK GLASSES

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RANDY RAINBOW AND THE MARVELOUSLY MAGICAL PINK GLASSES

by Randy Rainbow ; illustrated by Jaimie MacGibbon ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2025

Long-winded but uplifting nonetheless.

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Comedian, singer, and YouTube star Rainbow urges readers not to let others dim their light.

Young Randy Rainbow lives life out loud. While his classmates wear “dull blue jeans and drab T-shirts,” he sports “brightly colored three-piece suits and sparkly bow ties,” paints his nails, and listens to Broadway albums. After being called a “weirdo” at school, he tries to tamp down his sparkly side. While helping his grandmother sort through some of her old belongings, he stumbles across a pair of magical cat-eye glasses that, according to Nanny, allow whoever puts them on to “be anything and anywhere [they] want.” After rocking the glasses at school and a number of other locations, Randy becomes popular and confident, but when he breaks them on the way to a birthday party, he’s despondent. Nanny reveals that the glasses never had any powers; the magic was in Randy all along. While the message about being true to oneself is an important one, the unevenly paced, wordy text often tells more than it shows. At times it feels as though the author’s trying to pad out a somewhat thin story; multiple examples of Randy sporting his new specs in a variety of scenarios drag quite a bit. Swirls of pink feature prominently in MacGibbon’s cartoon illustrations. Randy and Nanny are pale-skinned; hints in the text suggest that they may be Jewish.

Long-winded but uplifting nonetheless. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: May 27, 2025

ISBN: 9781250900777

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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LING & TING SHARE A BIRTHDAY

by Grace Lin ; illustrated by Grace Lin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10, 2013

Tw-inspiring fiction for beginning readers.

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Lin swaps her trademark cupcake for birthday cake in this cheery follow-up to Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same (2010).

Sporting the same haircuts they received in the first book, Chinese-American identical twins Ling and Ting return with six short stories that center on preparations for their sixth birthday. “Birthday Shopping” reveals their playful humor as each girl tries to surprise the other by entering different stores. In the toy store, Ting selects a yo-yo that she obviously wants and hopes Ling will share, and in the bookstore, Ling does the same with a book that she hopes to read. Clever readers will notice that the bookstore carries many of Lin’s titles and that Ling’s selection is none other than a miniature-sized version of the original Ling & Ting. The girls’ differing personalities and sisterly affection continue to shine in “Birthday Cakes.” As they make their own birthday cakes (because of course, each girl needs her own), Ling carefully reads the cookbook, while Ting goes about the chore with spontaneity. When only Ling’s cake is edible, she cuts it in half to share with Ting. The stories build on one another, culminating in their birthday wishes coming true. Once again Lin’s richly colored gouache artwork, based on 1950s children’s textbook illustrations, gives reason enough to celebrate.

Tw-inspiring fiction for beginning readers. (Early reader. 5-8)