PUNKY DUNK AND THE GOLD FISH

Name: PUNKY DUNK AND THE GOLD FISH
Author: Moo Goo Media

developed by Moo Goo Media ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 23, 2011

This app isn't a train wreck by any means; just a perfunctory story told without much technological depth or literary...

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A goldfish-stalking kitty learns to mind his own business in this low-tech, feebly told tale.

Sometimes meter and rhyme coalesce into a unified force that tells an exceptionally creative story. Unfortunately, this narrative isn’t one of them. Throughout the app’s 11 pages, there are several instances where language and rhyme seem to have been commandeered to oblige the rhythm of the verse. "The fish globe round, he reached with a bound / And stood with his paws on the rim / Looking in with an air that was certain to scare / The fishes they looked at him." The “touch and play” features are no more than basic. A ball floats, the kitty and fish sway and occasionally Punky bobs or falls. There is one inventive feature: When bubbles pop they produce an explosion of water droplets, complete with popping sound effects. Old-fashioned–looking illustrations are showcased on a blue background that’s watermarked with stenciled swirls. There’s a stop and play button on each page that controls narration, but voiceover and music can also be switched off entirely. The bonus game is briefly entertaining but altogether unchallenging.

This app isn't a train wreck by any means; just a perfunctory story told without much technological depth or literary imagination. (iPad storybook app. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2011

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 11

Publisher: Moo Goo Media

Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2012

DR. SEUSS'S HOW THE GRINCH LOST CHRISTMAS!

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DR. SEUSS'S HOW THE GRINCH LOST CHRISTMAS!

by Alastair Heim ; illustrated by Aristides Ruiz ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2023

It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property.

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Since a reformed Grinch is hardly any fun, this follow-up Grinches him up once more.

Those seeking more of the same, prepare to receive precisely that. Christmas is coming (again!), and the Grinch can hardly wait. He’s been patient all year, and now he can finally show the Whos down in Who-ville how much he’s changed. When the Grinch learns of a tree-decorating contest, he figures that if he wins, it’ll prove he truly has the Christmas spirit. He throws himself into the task, but when it comes time to judge the trees, the Grinch is horrified to discover that he’s received only the second-place trophy. Can Cindy-Lou Who find the words to save the day? Replicating many of the original beats and wordplay of the original, this tale feels like less a sequel and more like a vaguely rewritten variation. Meanwhile, Ruiz’s art seeks to bridge the gap between the animated Chuck Jones version of the Grinch and the one depicted in the original book. This thankless task results in a strange uncanny valley between Seuss and Jones but does allow the artist a chance to colorize everything and lend some racial diversity to the Who population (Cindy-Lou is light-skinned). (This book was reviewed digitally.)

It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023

ISBN: 9780593563168

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023

Categories:

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PEANUT BUTTER & CUPCAKE

by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 29, 2014

Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...

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The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.

Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.

Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)