The story of Jesus’ birth (and beyond) as told by illustrations and hefty portions of Scripture.
Beginning with John the Baptist’s impending birth and ending with Christ’s baptism (at age 30) makes the title a bit of a stretch. Comprised of “Nazarene School Black and White Pictures” that have been colorized, the Renaissance-style characters appear to have been cut out and hung over the backdrop, which makes them 3-D-ish. The “amazing effects” listed in the developer’s description consist of bobbing characters, extinguishable flames, moveable clouds and occasional sound effects (none of which are amazing). Chunks of Biblical scripture are interspersed between image screens, but there's no narration. One illustration depicts the aftermath of King Herod’s edict to kill all male children under the age of 2; it’s not gory, but a pile of dead babies on the floor may disturb some. There are 11 language options and though the developer claims that tilting or turning the device will switch the text from one tongue to another, that feature is buggy on the iPad 2.The best thing about this app is the musical bonus feature, which offers six a cappella songs that sound like a cross between Enya and chanting monks. A dull digital parade of scripture and spiffed-up Sunday school pictures that add neither depth nor dimension to the season’s celebration. (iPad storybook app. 5-10)
Pub Date: Nov. 22, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: iAdverti s.r.o.
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
SEEN & HEARD
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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