As the story is sketchy to the point of incoherence, the chief draw here will be its inherent circularity and repetition.
Composed of very short visual sequences that cycle over and over with repeated tapping, this minimalist app is tailor-made for children with developmental disabilities or just microscopic attention spans.
The plotline, insofar as there is one, begins with a lad and his dad driving past a sign with the familiar arches. The lad’s demands for fast food (conveyed pictorially) escalate into an argument that ends up with the car going over a cliff and into an undersea realm. There, a black, horned figure attacks dad and then, in an abrupt cliffhanger close, turns to the boy. Except for the title, publisher and the inscrutable word “maquito” uttered by the father near the end, there is no text. Likewise, aside from snatches of demonic laughter and other clipped sound effects, the app is silent. The illustrations are all thick-lined, very simply drawn cartoons with arrows at the upper corners for navigation. Taps cause each scene to run through either one or two changes—ranging from a different posture or a close-up to the appearance of color highlights—and then back to its original form.
As the story is sketchy to the point of incoherence, the chief draw here will be its inherent circularity and repetition. (iPad storybook app. 3-4)Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2013
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Paper Tunnel
Review Posted Online: Jan. 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2014
Adults looking for an easy entry into this subject will not be disappointed.
This book presents a simplified explanation of the role the atmosphere plays in controlling climate.
The authors present a planet as a ball and its atmosphere as a blanket that envelops the ball. If the blanket is thick, the planet will be hot, as is the case for Venus. If the blanket is thin, the planet is cold, as with Mars. Planet Earth has a blanket that traps “just the right amount of heat.” The authors explain trees, animals, and oceans are part of what makes Earth’s atmosphere “just right.” “But…Uh-oh! People on Earth are changing the blanket!” The book goes on to explain how some human activities are sending “greenhouse gases” into the atmosphere, thus “making the blanket heavier and thicker” and “making Earth feel unwell.” In the case of a planet feeling unwell, what would the symptoms be? Sea-level rises that lead to erosion, flooding, and island loss, along with extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, blizzards, and wildfires. Ending on a constructive note, the authors name a few of the remedies to “help our Earth before it’s too late!” By using the blanket analogy, alongside simple and clear illustrations, this otherwise complex topic becomes very accessible to young children, though caregivers will need to help with the specialized vocabulary.
Adults looking for an easy entry into this subject will not be disappointed. (Board book. 3-4)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4926-8082-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
More kit than story, with some assembly required.
Two outings and a game of hide-and-seek in between add up to a perfect day for Peppa and friends in this four-spread TV-series spinoff.
First Peppa and her bubble-gum–pink family ride to the park (“Vroom!” says little George) for a healthy picnic packed by Daddy Pig. Then it’s home for playtime with Danny Dog and Suzy Sheep, until Grandpa Pig arrives with a boat big enough for all (“Ship ahoy!”). Children can embellish this stripped-down plotline on the foldout playscape attached to the back cover. All of the figures in the flat, very simple illustrations also come as punch-outs on a loose sheet, and there are corresponding slots in the detachable pop-up car and boat. Fans of the British series, which runs on Nick Jr. in the United States, may experience several moments of pleasure before the card-stock vehicles are crushed.
More kit than story, with some assembly required. (sticker sheet) (Pop-up/picture book. 3-4)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6825-9
Page Count: 8
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2013
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