It's an adaptation that manages a tricky balance between heartfelt and hokey within an app that has a distinctive look and...
A softened-up adaptation of Czech writer Capek's short story, "The Man Who Knew How to Fly," this cheerily illustrated app still manages to convey a sense of what's lost when we leave childhood.
The ebullient girl in a red beret and polka-dot dress sails above fields and her cottage home, buoyed by starry magic. Drawn in a Golden Age vintage style, the girl's rosy cheeks and sweet smile follow her even into her sleep, where she dreams of her own airborne adventures. But soon, she's visited by a quartet of witch-like village teachers who demand to know how she flies and to measure her skill. Of course, that saps the magic from the little girl's talent, and soon she's not flying at all, left only with memories of what she once had. If that sounds depressing, most parents reading might agree, but the app does a skillful job of avoiding a maudlin conclusion with (one might say overly) upbeat music and a regained smile. The app blends its retro look with solid app design and a few well-integrated extras, like a coloring-book page, a dress-up game and the option of tilting the iPad to guide the little girl's aerial movements.
It's an adaptation that manages a tricky balance between heartfelt and hokey within an app that has a distinctive look and feel. (iPad storybook app. 3-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Yellow Pixie
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2012
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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