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THE MINIATURE POLAR BEAR

Name: THE MINIATURE POLAR BEAR
Author: Rogue Software

developed by Rogue Software ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2014

An amiable-enough story weighed down by a few misguided illustrations.

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A boy finds the perfect pet hiding under his bed—trouble is, his mother just won’t believe him.

During a trip to the zoo, Jimmy decides that a polar bear would be a perfect pet, but his mother brushes him off, saying, “Don’t be silly, Jimmy….They are big and wild, and they eat little boys like you.” To his delight, Jimmy discovers a miniature polar bear hiding under his bed that night. Jimmy will amuse readers with his mop of curly hair, goofy expressions and earnest attempts to convince his mother that his new pet is real. The bright cartoon illustrations are full of funny details, but they suffer from a few significant problems. Secondary characters suffer are grossly exaggerated in places. When they get angry, sister Lucy looks like a demented monster, with her florescent pink face, and Mum looks like a Bratz doll. Jimmy’s black friend Tumi occasionally looks like the worst kind of caricature. Narration and text are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, with an unusual option that allows viewers to read and listen to two languages at the same time. Easy-to-use controls allow users to turn off narration, music and text from the home page. Animation keeps young readers engaged on each page without overwhelming the story.

An amiable-enough story weighed down by a few misguided illustrations. (Requires iOS 6 and above.) (iPad storybook app. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 3, 2014

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Rogue Software

Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014

HOW TO MAKE AN APPLE PIE AND SEE THE WORLD

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HOW TO MAKE AN APPLE PIE AND SEE THE WORLD

by Marjorie Priceman & illustrated by Marjorie Priceman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 1994

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What if the market was closed when you wanted to bake a pie? You could embark for Europe, learn Italian en route, and pick up some semolina wheat in Italy, an egg in France, kurundu bark for cinnamon in Sri Lanka, and an entire cow in England (butter) before coming home via Jamaica (sugar) and Vermont (apples). The expertly designed illustrations in which a dark-haired lass journeys by various means to these interesting places to get her groceries are lovely and lively, and the narrative, too, travels at a spritely pace. The journey is neither quite logical enough to be truly informative nor quite bizarre enough to be satisfyingly silly, while the rich, sweet recipe that's appended will take some adult assistance. Still, fun. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: May 2, 1994

ISBN: 0-679-83705-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1994

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
FOLLOW THE RECIPE
by Marilyn Singer ; illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MUSIC OF LIFE
by Elizabeth Rusch ; illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

- BOOK REVIEW
MIRACLE ON 133RD STREET
by Sonia Manzano ; illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

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THE WATER PRINCESS

by Susan Verde ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016

Though told by two outsiders to the culture, this timely and well-crafted story will educate readers on the preciousness of...

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An international story tackles a serious global issue with Reynolds’ characteristic visual whimsy.

Gie Gie—aka Princess Gie Gie—lives with her parents in Burkina Faso. In her kingdom under “the African sky, so wild and so close,” she can tame wild dogs with her song and make grass sway, but despite grand attempts, she can neither bring the water closer to home nor make it clean. French words such as “maintenant!” (now!) and “maman” (mother) and local color like the karite tree and shea nuts place the story in a French-speaking African country. Every morning, Gie Gie and her mother perch rings of cloth and large clay pots on their heads and walk miles to the nearest well to fetch murky, brown water. The story is inspired by model Georgie Badiel, who founded the Georgie Badiel Foundation to make clean water accessible to West Africans. The details in Reynolds’ expressive illustrations highlight the beauty of the West African landscape and of Princess Gie Gie, with her cornrowed and beaded hair, but will also help readers understand that everyone needs clean water—from the children of Burkina Faso to the children of Flint, Michigan.

Though told by two outsiders to the culture, this timely and well-crafted story will educate readers on the preciousness of potable water. (Picture book. 5-8)