This storybook app isn’t breaking any new ground, but it’s a solid effort that will undoubtedly stimulate more than a few...
A seek-and-find scavenger hunt encourages readers to explore what lies behind various doors.
This interactive adaptation of Munro’s 2004 print release, Doors, appears to be identical to its predecessor in terms of rhyme, artwork and concept. But the interactive digital interface adds to the appeal by providing a plethora of sound effects and more than 100 animated and/or interactive objects. Children can tap, swipe and tilt the tablet to reveal hidden items that are mentioned in the text. Some things yield a particular sound (a whining dog, creaking cabinet hinges, the flush of a toilet), while others simply offer a short glissando to alert readers that they’ve found one of the hidden treasures. Children can explore a wide variety of locations, including a fire station, a train compartment, a horse stable, a doctor’s office and a well-stocked refrigerator, to name only a few. There are three narrative options: voiced either by a male or female reader, or narration can be completely turned off (for those who wish to read the story themselves). Sound effects can be switched on and off separately, and a pull-down menu offers easy access to individual pages as well as narrative and sound options.
This storybook app isn’t breaking any new ground, but it’s a solid effort that will undoubtedly stimulate more than a few curious little minds. (iPad storybook app. 3-7)Pub Date: July 24, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: OCG Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2011
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts.
Ohtani, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, teams up with Blank and Liem to tell the story of how his dog, Decoy, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.
It’s a big day! Decoy leaps “off the bed. Then back onto the bed. Then off the bed.” The enthusiastic pup heads outside to practice with his lucky baseball but is quickly distracted by squirrels (“we’ll play later!”), airplanes (“flyin’ high!”), and flowers (“smell ya soon!”). Dog and pitcher then head to the ballpark. In the locker room, Decoy high-paws Shohei’s teammates. It’s nearly time! But as Shohei prepares to warm up, Decoy realizes that he’s forgotten something important: his lucky ball. Without it, there will be “no championships, no parades, and no hot dogs!” Back home he goes, returning just in time. With Shohei at the plate, Decoy runs from the mound to his owner, rolling the ball into Shohei’s mitt for a “Striiiiike!” Related from a dog’s point of view, Ohtani and Blank’s energetic text lends the tale a sense of urgency and suspense. Liem’s illustrations capture the excitement of the first day of baseball season and the joys of locker room camaraderie, as well as Shohei and Decoy’s mutual affection—even when the ball is drenched in slobber, Shohei’s love for his pet shines through, and clearly, Decoy is focused when it matters.
A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780063460775
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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