THE WITCH WITH NO NAME

Name: THE WITCH WITH NO NAME
Author: SlimCricket

developed by SlimCricket ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 22, 2012

A clever, engaging presentation that is weighed down by a long-winded and shallow story. With better writing, this would...

bookshelf

Readers assist a witch in creating a potion that will help her remember her name.

The developers at Slim Cricket Books have taken their collective successes in the video game industry and translated them surprisingly well to the interactive book format. That’s not to say that the story itself is particularly well-written; it’s not. But what sets this interactive book apart from a slew of others that have flooded the market is that it engages readers by continuously involving them in the story. When the witch decides to cast a spell to help her remember her name, she sets out with her bat roommate to retrieve the ingredients for the potion. To help them, readers must put together a puzzle and play games that help them retrieve a nose hair from a giant and produce a concert of farts, among other things. Once the potion is complete, the witch realizes that she lost her name because she lent it…to you! The iPad’s camera activates, and when the reader’s face appears in the crystal ball, they’re asked to name the witch. The tablet's audio records the name, which is repeated back when the witch subsequently encounters her neighbors again.

A clever, engaging presentation that is weighed down by a long-winded and shallow story. With better writing, this would have been an exceptional interactive read. (iPad storybook app. 4-8)

Pub Date: June 22, 2012

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: SlimCricket

Review Posted Online: Aug. 7, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2012

- BOOK REVIEW
IS THE WITCH IN LOVE?
developed by SlimCricket

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LITTLE WITCH AT SCHOOL
developed by SlimCricket

- BOOK REVIEW
ALIZAY, PIRATE GIRL
developed by SlimCricket

HOW TO MAKE AN APPLE PIE AND SEE THE WORLD

bookshelf

HOW TO MAKE AN APPLE PIE AND SEE THE WORLD

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

bookshelf

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

bookshelf

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...

bookshelf

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)