A few bells and whistles fail to make this app soar.
Bally meets up with three "real" dogs and through a series of events realizes that he’s different. Will he ever fit in?
Bally the “bright blue poodle” (clearly lavender on the iPad screen) is tethered to a string and held by the balloon seller in the park. As he floats high in the sky, a gust of wind gives him a lift and he manages to break free. Thus begins his attempt to keep up with three real canines. Bally tries to dive into a fountain but can only float on the surface. He tries to lift his leg on a tree but nothing comes out (though apparently he can pass gas). He tries to eat a hotdog and ends up catapulting it on top of a hedge none of them can reach. It’s only when he retrieves the wayward hotdog that he is fully accepted as “one of them.” There are elements to this app that kids will enjoy: feeding hotdogs to pups; dropping dogs into a fountain; recording personal narration. But by and large, it’s about as limp as a balloon that survived last week’s birthday party. The story is weak and inconsistent, the writing is undistinguished and the implicit “moral” leaves the impression that usefulness equals value.
A few bells and whistles fail to make this app soar. (iPad storybook app. 4-7)Pub Date: April 27, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Apps of All Nations
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2011
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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