Better just to see the movie—though being able to hear Antonio Banderas declaim “I am Poos in Boots, and my name…would...
A sketchy iteration of the 2011 film, crashatrocious (in this version of the app) but heavily stocked with stills, audio clips and interactive features.
Created as a prequel to the Shrek films (and an alternate to the Perrault tale), this episode unites Puss with his old orphanage buddy Humpty Alexander Dumpty and renowned thief Kitty Softpaws to steal magic beans and then the Golden Goose. Read silently or by an unenthusiastic narrator with selectable auto or manual advance, the text provides a wooden and sometimes disconnected summary of the action: “They staged a dangerous raid on Jack and Jill’s creepy, boar-driven wagon. It wasn’t easy, but they finally had the beans!” All of the 22 pages (except the last) feature links to strips of stills, many of which come with snatches of audio, and on several pages a touch of a small cat’s-paw icon activates a sound effect, a short animation that can be manually controlled or a drawing board that resembles a sandbox. So visually appealing is the finely detailed, richly colored art that readers may be inclined to shrug off the audio malfunctions or sudden shutdowns that too-hasty swiping or tapping engenders.
Better just to see the movie—though being able to hear Antonio Banderas declaim “I am Poos in Boots, and my name…would becahm…Legend!” at will makes this a worthy keepsake. (iPad film storybook app. 7-9)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: zuuka
Review Posted Online: Nov. 27, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2011
What a wag.
What do you get from sewing the head of a smart dog onto the body of a tough police officer? A new superhero from the incorrigible creator of Captain Underpants.
Finding a stack of old Dog Mancomics that got them in trouble back in first grade, George and Harold decide to craft a set of new(ish) adventures with (more or less) improved art and spelling. These begin with an origin tale (“A Hero Is Unleashed”), go on to a fiendish attempt to replace the chief of police with a “Robo Chief” and then a temporarily successful scheme to make everyone stupid by erasing all the words from every book (“Book ’Em, Dog Man”), and finish off with a sort of attempted alien invasion evocatively titled “Weenie Wars: The Franks Awaken.” In each, Dog Man squares off against baddies (including superinventor/archnemesis Petey the cat) and saves the day with a clever notion. With occasional pauses for Flip-O-Rama featurettes, the tales are all framed in brightly colored sequential panels with hand-lettered dialogue (“How do you feel, old friend?” “Ruff!”) and narrative. The figures are studiously diverse, with police officers of both genders on view and George, the chief, and several other members of the supporting cast colored in various shades of brown. Pilkey closes as customary with drawing exercises, plus a promise that the canine crusader will be further unleashed in a sequel.
What a wag. (Graphic fantasy. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-58160-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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BOOK TO SCREEN
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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