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FIND ME

Name: FIND ME
Author: Giulia Natale

RHYMES FOR CURIOUS KIDS

by Giulia Natale & Jenna Hollenstein & developed by PubCoder SRL ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 28, 2013

This cheery story will entertain young readers with pleasant rhymes, bright digital artwork and simple animated scenes.

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Young fans of visual puzzles will enjoy this spot-the-difference enhanced e-book.

Attractive digital artwork—originally developed for the wordless app Find Me (Kisbo/Paddybooks, 2011)—features repeating designs of common objects, with an animal hidden on each page. Natale uses rhyming clues and a brief animation on each page to help young readers identify the hidden animals. A crocodile blends in among a collection of scissors; a dinosaur looks suspiciously like a teapot. These bright, colorful scenes are busy, but they are less frenetic than Walter Wick’s classic I Spy photo montages. When readers tap the hidden animal, they are rewarded with an amusing animated scene. Playful clues will entertain young readers, but they do not provide much substantive information about the animals. The woodpecker “might look like a shoe: bright, shiny, and sleek, / But rather than feet, it’s trees that he seeks.” The smooth narration emphasizes the rhythm and rhyme in a playful, natural way. The narrator is soothing but perky, just like a lovely preschool teacher. The app highlights an entire line of text at a time, which aids children who have moved beyond the initial beginning-to-read stages.

This cheery story will entertain young readers with pleasant rhymes, bright digital artwork and simple animated scenes. (Enhanced e-book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2013

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Kisbo

Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2013

- BOOK REVIEW
OLYMPIA'S TALES
by Giulia Natale & illustrated by Valentina Gilardi developed by PaddyBooks

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ADDIE ANT GOES ON AN ADVENTURE

by Maren Morris & Karina Argow ; illustrated by Kelly Anne Dalton ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 9, 2024

Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade.

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An ant explores her world.

Addie Ant’s ready for adventure. Despite some trepidation about leaving the Tomato Bed, where she lives with her aunt, she plucks up her courage and ventures forth across the garden to the far side of the shed. On her journey, she meets her pal Lewis Ladybug, who greets her warmly, points the way, and offers sage advice. When Addie arrives at her destination, she’s welcomed by lovely Beatrix Butterfly and enjoys an “ant-tastic” helping of watermelon. Beatrix also provides Addie with take-home treats and a map for the “Cricket Express,” which will take her straight home. Arriving at the terminal, Addie’s delighted to meet another friend, Cleo Cricket, whose carriage service returns Addie home in “two hops.” After eating a warm tomato soup dinner, Addie falls asleep and dreams of future exploits. Adorable though not terribly original, this story brims with sensuous pleasures, both textual and visual. Kids who declare that they dislike fruits or veggies may find their mouths watering at the mentions and sights of luscious tomatoes, peas, beans, watermelons, berries, and other foodstuffs; insect-averse readers may likewise think differently after encountering these convivial, wide-eyed characters. And those flowers and herbs everywhere! The highlights are the colors that burst from the pages. Addie’s an endearing, empowering character who reassures children they’ll be able to take those first independent steps successfully.

Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade. (author’s note about ants) (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 9, 2024

ISBN: 9781797228914

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)