by Mimi Cross & illustrated by Juergen Berkessel & developed by Polymash ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2011
Nevertheless, it's got a formidable array of virtual mechanics that'll wow any kid who's starting to look beyond LEGOs for...
A brawny antidote to the fairy-tale adaptations and cutesy cartoon-character apps that overstuff the App Store, this ear-catchingly titled story is all about power tools and building.
Promising to help readers build a Crankamacallit, "With buttons and levers and yes, of course—CRANKS!", the app fills its pages with red and green buttons, a toolbox full of building instruments and, later, an orchestra pit built into what looks like a birthday-party-balloon–powered zeppelin. There are blueprints, a silly notepad filled with illustrated engineering notes and the occasional flight of fancy. (Literally, in one case: an inspirational flying goose.) The visual style is a curious mix of near-photorealistic artwork and polished computer animation. Near the end, running a finger along the screen generates a thrilling rotating view of the finished flying vehicle. The sound effects and narration are energetic and satisfying. But many of the elements, including some of the buttons and schematics, are difficult to interact with because the app reads many taps as page turns. It's far too sensitive, and unnecessary to boot, given the page-turning arrows on the bottom corners of each page. In fact, navigation in general is overdone and fussy given the subject matter. There are four different ways to navigate, and that's probably two too many for an app with only 20 pages total.
Nevertheless, it's got a formidable array of virtual mechanics that'll wow any kid who's starting to look beyond LEGOs for bigger building blocks. (iPad storybook app. 4-8)Pub Date: May 27, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: POLYMASH
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023
From curds to riches, from meltdown to uplift—this multicourse romp delivers.
A winning wheel of cheddar with braggadocio to match narrates a tale of comeuppance and redemption.
From humble beginnings among kitchen curds living “quiet lives of pasteurization,” the Big Cheese longs to be the best and builds success and renown based on proven skills and dependable results: “I stuck to the things I was good at.” When newcomer Wedge moves to the village of Curds-on-Whey, the Cheese’s star status wobbles and falls. Turns out that quiet, modest Wedge is also multitalented. At the annual Cheese-cathlon, Wedge bests six-time winner Cheese in every event, from the footrace and chess to hat making and bread buttering. A disappointed Cheese throws a full-blown tantrum before arriving at a moment of truth: Self-calming, conscious breathing permits deep relief that losing—even badly—does not result in disaster. A debrief with Wedge “that wasn’t all about me” leads to further realizations: Losing builds empathy for others; obsession with winning obscures “the joy of participating.” The chastened cheddar learns to reserve bragging for lifting up friends, because anyone can be the Big Cheese. More didactic and less pun-rich than previous entries in the Food Group series, this outing nevertheless couples a cheerful refrain with pithy life lessons that hit home. Oswald’s detailed, comical illustrations continue to provide laughs, including a spot with Cheese onstage doing a “CHED” talk.
From curds to riches, from meltdown to uplift—this multicourse romp delivers. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9780063329508
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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