by Ru Osika & illustrated by Nana Demenkova & developed by Zhe ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2012
Natural history concerns aside (Tangerines? In a pine forest?), a visually appealing story with an easy-to-grasp emotional...
A young fox undertakes a (mildly) scary journey to help an unusual friend in this simple, if wordy, original tale.
Having become attached to the single tangerine tree that grows near his house in the evergreen forest, Little Fox ventures out past dark woods and a steep ravine to reach its distant citrus siblings. He brings back a sweet tangerine and plants the seeds nearby, contentedly leaving them to dream their “orange-tangerine dreams” beneath the snow until spring. Infused with sunny oranges and yellows except for in the single scene depicting Little Fox’s courageous excursion into the darker forest, the cartoon art gives this elementary episode a bright mood overall. This is enhanced by tap-induced showers of flowers, stars, strawberries and sparkles that are accompanied by chimes and bird song on most of the dozen pictorial screens. The text is available in several languages with an optional, very distinctly pronounced audio reading in (so far) English and Russian only. Though lengthy and not always smoothly translated, the narrative is confined to separate, undecorated, easily skipped screens that appear between the pictures and can even be toggled off entirely.
Natural history concerns aside (Tangerines? In a pine forest?), a visually appealing story with an easy-to-grasp emotional base and uncomplicated interactive effects. (iPad storybook app. 3-5)Pub Date: March 10, 2012
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Zhe
Review Posted Online: Oct. 23, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
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Awards & Accolades
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New York Times Bestseller
IndieBound Bestseller
by Adam Rubin & illustrated by Daniel Salmieri ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2012
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
11
New York Times Bestseller
IndieBound Bestseller
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
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by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Sandra Equihua ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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