A bright, lighthearted, and comforting book for children missing a faraway parent.
In this illustrated children’s book, a little girl going to sleep waits for her father’s kisses and hugs to arrive from far away.
As in many families, little Gabby Ann’s father works very far away much of the time, but she knows that every night he will send her hugs and kisses. Friendly looking letters sing, “We’re Xs and Os, sent for the night. / We’re kisses and hugs, to help Gabby sleep tight.” Of course, her mother kisses her goodnight, too, but Gabby misses her daddy. One night, she has trouble sleeping, wondering when her father’s hugs and kisses will arrive. Her mother tells her that “The sooner you sleep, the faster they’ll get here.” As Gabby tries to sleep, her father’s X’s and O’s go on a long journey: dancing on the wind, meeting kind animals all over the world, and getting rides from some, including a monkey, giraffe, dolphin, and pelican. When Gabby pops up from bed to ask her mother why daddy’s kisses and hugs are taking so long, she’s reminded to have patience. Sure enough, the X’s and O’s eventually catch a ride with the family dog, who delivers them to Gabby, and she sleeps tight, secure in her father’s love. In her debut book, Özbay tells a sweet and simple story that makes good use of repetition to engage youngsters. The animals in their varied habitats are reassuringly ready to help, and Motz’s colorful, animated illustrations of happy-looking creatures also provide appeal. It’s a bit puzzling, though, that the hugs and kisses are presented as something to help Gabby sleep but will only ever arrive after she’s already fallen asleep—a parental trick that children may or may not see through. Another minor quibble: emus are included with African animals; they’re from Australia.
A bright, lighthearted, and comforting book for children missing a faraway parent.Pub Date: May 5, 2015
ISBN: 978-0990844709
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Mascot Books
Review Posted Online: May 11, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Preserving the look of the classic board book—even to the trim size and rounded corners—this makeover folds new into old in such inventive ways that it may take more than a few passes to discover all the interactive features. Aboard a ship that rocks in response to a tilt of the tablet a set of animal passengers bounce belowdecks. First they take a bath featuring user-created bubbles, and then they brush their teeth using water so hot that the whole screen hazes up with wipe-able “steam.” Pajama-clad, all then wobble—or, tweaked by a finger, rocket—back outside for a bit of exercise before bed. (Readers control this part by twirling the moon.) In the finest animation of all, every touch of the night sky in the final scene brings a twinkling star into temporary being. Along with making small movements that resemble paper-engineered popup effects, Boynton’s wide eyed passengers also twitch or squeak (or both) when tapped. And though they don’t seem particularly sleepy or conducive to heavy lids, an optional reading by British singer Billy J. Kramer (whose well-traveled voice also pronounces each word individually at a touch), backed by soothing piano music, supplies an effectively soporific audio. “The day is done. / They say good night, / and somebody / turns off the light.” This is as beautiful as the developer’s earlier PopOut! Peter Rabbit while styling itself perfectly to Boynton's whimsy. (Ipad board-book app. 1-3)
Pub Date: March 7, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Loud Crow Interactive
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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