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MY BEASTLY ABCS

Eminently amusing, it also offers not a little bit of history for the taking.

An abecedary with an international cast of creatures who go bump in the night.

From Nepal comes the abominable snowman and from Norway, the ettin (a “foul-smelling two-headed giant” in a perpetual bad mood). From Iceland comes the kraken, and from Arabia comes the roc. There are 26 in all, fittingly, one for each letter in the alphabet. The beasts each get a full screen on which to cavort, and frequently there’s an additional screen for some added action. The screens come with varying amounts of engagement—cued by a pulsing light—but there is always enough to keep interest strong. The creatures are drawn with originality and enough comic flair to make this app more of a scream than a terror. The artwork is also fresh as paint, and the animation is smooth. Certainly one of the highlights is the activation of a toolbar that lets users dig a little deeper behind the beasts for background information, such as traditional characteristics, body composition, what they do for mischievous fun and where, if you are lucky and patient enough, you will find them. The verse is uniformly on the light side: “A Vampire known as Dr. Voss / Politely taught me how to floss.”

Eminently amusing, it also offers not a little bit of history for the taking. (iPad alphabet/informational app. 4-8)

Pub Date: Dec. 4, 2012

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Duncan Studio

Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2013

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OTIS

From the Otis series

Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Philomel

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

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