The Runaway Radish (who, spoiler alert, doesn't exactly make it out of the story intact) is entertainingly chaotic, and this...
Although markedly different in tone and style from most iPad storybook apps (though no less worthy), this English-and-Spanish tale of a food sculptor and a mischievous, fast-moving root vegetable is fun and has some features that make it worth multiple readings.
When Don Pedro tries to sculpt an elaborate scene, including a castle and knights, out of radishes, one of the veggies springs to life and runs for the hills. The ensuing chase, which eventually involves a donkey, a group of mariachi musicians, a chef and a street vendor is silly enough. But the reality-bending illustrations are appropriately over-the-top, and the giant radish's cry—"Places to go, people to see. / Out of my way, you can't carve ME!"—is catchy. In addition to the usual interactive features, including optional narration, a pop-up page index and mute-able background audio, it has two good options for younger readers. It can be read in English and Spanish and even includes bilingual flash cards for some of the words used in the story. But best of all, its "English learner" and "Spanish learner" options slow down the tempo of the narration, making it easier to follow along with the text. If there's a quibble with the app it's that the text's font itself is too small and doesn't serve the style of the art well. A matching game is included.
The Runaway Radish (who, spoiler alert, doesn't exactly make it out of the story intact) is entertainingly chaotic, and this “Gingerbread Man” variant is a good effort in both Spanish and English. (iPad storybook app. 3-8)Pub Date: March 19, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Siena Entertainment
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
