This app isn't a train wreck by any means; just a perfunctory story told without much technological depth or literary...
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
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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