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LOST LARRY

From the Larry Lizard series

Clean, simple, seamless—just right for the nursery-school set or children with special needs.

A little green lizard will trail a fingertip home in this mini-Odyssey, the third of Larry’s interactive outings.

Pointing fingers in the illustrations and overt instructions in the rhymed text (“Trace a path with your finger right on the screen / Larry will follow once the path’s been seen”) provide uncommonly broad hints for this app's toddler audience. They guide the lost lizard through very simple zigzag mazes, over stepping stones, and past gatherings of anthills and beehives to, at last, a dark little cave just right for a curled-up snooze. The story is read (optionally) in soothing Aussie accents over quiet sighs or chuckles from Larry and other easily identifiable sounds. The low-key narrative accompanies a set of broadly brushed cartoon scenes—in each of which taps will also make numbers appear briefly in sequence, a fish leap, an echidna suck up ants, or buzzing bees fly off as Larry crawls or hops out of view. An unobtrusive icon at the top of each portrait-mode screen opens a menu with a link back to the start, a toggle for the audio narration and other options.

Clean, simple, seamless—just right for the nursery-school set or children with special needs. (iPad storybook/dexterity app. 1-3)

Pub Date: March 7, 2012

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Wasabi Productions

Review Posted Online: April 16, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2012

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BABY'S BIG BUSY BOOK

Little fingers will enjoy exploring these pages again and again

A day in Baby’s life, with flaps, textures, sparkly bling, and mirrors to explore.

The first double-page spread, in bright, sunny colors, invites a white baby with blond hair to wake up and asks the reader, “What will baby see?” Beyond the baby’s crib is a room full of toys and a window with a blazing sun and three butterflies in flight. The subsequent spreads show different babies (the second one has a dark brown complexion, the next two are white, and the final tot is possibly of Asian descent) eating, getting dressed, playing in the park, and then back in the crib for the night. Each page follows the same formula, with relatively sturdy flaps to lift or open and at least one tactile element per page, which are a mix of embossed elements or textiles embedded in the page. Katz’s signature bright and cheery patterns and chubby, cherubic babes are in top form here, and the 10 1/2–inch-square trim is an ideal canvas. Serviceable text provides simple descriptors, and captions label many of the objects in each baby’s world.

Little fingers will enjoy exploring these pages again and again . (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4814-8830-3

Page Count: 12

Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017

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KISSES AND CUDDLES

A sweet read that will lull many a reader into slumberland.

A young penguin spends a day with mama.

A little penguin has lots to love. The fluffy tyke loves eating pancakes and drinking hot chocolate, finding rainbows, and reading stories. But more than anything the chick loves the kisses and cuddles bestowed by mama, especially the ones that come right before bed. This board book works best as a stealthy bedtime book, recounting the small penguin's big day before wrapping up at bedtime, making a pillow and blanket mixed with goodnight kisses look like the best things in the world. The soft, round illustrations and increasingly warm color palette go a long way toward lulling even the most excitable little ones into a state of ease, making this an almost essential addition to the bedtime storybook stack. The book's cuddly nature is doubled by the choice to make its main character a penguin. After all, who doesn't want to hug a fluffy penguin?

A sweet read that will lull many a reader into slumberland. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4998-0151-4

Page Count: 16

Publisher: Little Bee Books

Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016

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