An exciting jaunt, imbued with a sense of mystery—but readers curious about what happens next or the significance of what...
A lad discovers an abandoned jungle city in this well-designed first chapter of an original tale.
Young Mika wanders away from his scientist grandma, finds a directional sign covered in “whimsical symbols,” fends off a giant snake and blithely carries away a small golden statue from a ruin. To go along with quiet New Age background music and low-volume sound effects, the verdant junglescapes in each atmospheric scene feature strange-looking flora and fauna, plus as well as eyes and eldritch lights that brighten or dim with a tap. Simple but smooth animations include an opening sequence, page “turns” and small flowers that bloom when touched. A touch will also blow the blocks of very small text up to a more legible size. Icons at the bottom of each screen point forward and back, allowing the voiced narration and music to be (independently) switched on or off; they also lead to a jigsaw puzzle and a concentration game. The translated text features some malapropisms and offbeat lines—“ ‘We will have to jump to make it across there,’ he thinks with a foreboding in the back of his mind”—and though the App Store description promises four languages, the app offers only English.
An exciting jaunt, imbued with a sense of mystery—but readers curious about what happens next or the significance of what Mika finds will have to wait for future episodes to find out. (iPad storybook app. 7-9)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2010
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: zuuka! GmbH
Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the...
Using science and technology, third-grader Ada Lace kicks off her new series by solving a mystery even with her leg in a cast.
Temporarily housebound after a badly executed bungee jump, Ada uses binoculars to document the ecosystem of her new neighborhood in San Francisco. She records her observations in a field journal, a project that intrigues new friend Nina, who lives nearby. When they see that Ms. Reed’s dog, Marguerite, is missing, they leap to the conclusion that it has been stolen. Nina does the legwork and Ada provides the technology for their search for the dognapper. Story-crafting takes a back seat to scene-setting in this series kickoff that introduces the major players. As part of the series formula, science topics and gadgetry are integrated into the stories and further explained in a “Behind the Science” afterword. This installment incorporates drones, a wireless camera, gecko gloves, and the Turing test as well as the concept of an ecosystem. There are no ethnic indicators in the text, but the illustrations reveal that Ada, her family, and bratty neighbor Milton are white; Nina appears to be Southeast Asian; and Mr. Peebles, an inventor who lives nearby, is black.
The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the chapter-book world. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8599-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
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