A young witch helps a giant out in a simple fairy-tale app.
Witchy is a little girl with a magic wand and a pointy hat who, one night in bed, is approached by a giant named William. “I am looking for something to eat,” he tells her before munching on Witchy’s stuffed rabbit. Witchy learns that the giant comes from an arid place, so he can’t grow fruits or vegetables. With a little magic, Witchy is able to fix the situation. The app features simple ink-and-watercolor illustrations, and the app design takes a minimalist approach, using hand-drawn icons and page-turn animations with few frills. Each page has a few interactions, such as a sound effect or objects that can be moved. Most helpfully, a question mark on each page reveals the hidden ways to trigger these. Unfortunately, the text has dodgy punctuation throughout, likely the result of its translation from Dutch. A bigger problem for many may be the story itself. Witchy willingly goes along with the giant, a stranger who suddenly shows up in her room, without permission. And it’s not a giant her own age; as drawn in the story, he’s a balding, middle-aged giant with white hair. So much for stranger danger.
Other than that creepy giant elephant in the room, Witchy’s story isn’t exactly bewitching, save for the tidy design. (Requires iPad 2 and above.) (iPad storybook app. 3-7)
Pub Date: April 20, 2014
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Somoiso
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
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 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
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