Multicultural, yet universal enough in its language and situations to appeal to any kid, this app is appealingly simple.
A series of quick-hit situations told through the prism of the hair on the heads of cute, watercolor-illustrated children, the story trades in familiar moments. Going to bed, running around the playground, riding the bus and taking a bath are just adventures for curly, straight, long or short hair alike. With lines like, "Flying hair, windy hair. / 'Catch me if you can' hair," the app offers basic, but effective animation. Some characters wiggle or move an arm, others bump up in the air when a school bus hits a bump. The sound effects are well-integrated, and though there's as much interactivity on each page as in a more extravagant app, this one doesn't really need it. No trails are blazed here, but it's nevertheless a story with rhythmic language and a polished look and feel. The text, with the option for narration in English or Spanish, is smooth and evocative. There's also a Spanish/English dictionary to help readers learn specific words or phrases.
For younger readers, it all comes together in an appealing, attractive and easy-to-follow app. (iPad storybook app. 2-5)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: 33 Loretta Kids Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2011
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BOOK REVIEW
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 28, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
Categories: CHILDREN'S DRAGONS & MYTHICAL CREATURES
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Sutton’s latest is a truck-lover’s dream come true—repetition, rhyme and onomatopoeia form the text, while construction trucks vie for readers’ attention in the illustrations. The result is a wonderfully noisy look at how roads are built. From a line on a map and an empty field to the finished road complete with lights and signs, youngsters will be able to follow all the steps, learning all the vehicles that take part in the process (a final page introduces readers to each one). “Pack the ground. Pack the ground. / Roll one way, then back. / Make the roadbed good and hard. / Clang! Crunch! Crack!” Lovelock’s debut certainly makes an impression. His pigmented ink illustrations keep the focus on the machines and the individual parts they play in building the road. The level of detail matches the text’s intended audience—enough to satisfy, not so much as to overwhelm. Pave the way to this book’s shelf; perfect for read-alouds, it will be a hit whether shared with a group or one-on-one. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: July 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3912-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2008
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION
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