by Sophie Jansem & illustrated by Sophie Jansem & developed by Avant-Goût Studios ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 21, 2012
Flawed ending aside, it’s an admirable first effort.
A well-balanced interactive story chronicles the life of a whimsical little pig.
In the opening scene of this sweet tale, Sam is rifling through his mother’s purse. Much like a clown car at the circus, the bag appears to have no bottom, and Sam keeps pulling items out of it as long as readers keep tapping him. The other 19 pages offer similar interactions, all of which offer clues about what makes Sam unique. He likes to read and sleep in on Sunday mornings, and he insists on kicking a soccer ball around the house (the last activity eventually results in a “cracked” tablet screen). Of particular interest is his affinity for playing dress-up in women’s clothing and his love of dance; both Sam and his parents seem completely and refreshingly comfortable eschewing gender stereotypes. Illustrations are soft, uncluttered and washed in muted colors, an approach that leaves room for the straightforward interactions and the story itself. Each page has a distinctive audio presentation (music/sound effects) and can be narrated or read in English, French or Russian. The only negative is that the story ends abruptly. Readers will likely look for a way to turn the page, as there’s no visual or textual signal that the story is over.
Flawed ending aside, it’s an admirable first effort. (iPad storybook app, 18 mos.-5)Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2012
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Avant-Gout Studios
Review Posted Online: Jan. 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2013
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by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 23, 2014
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
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by Dan Saks ; illustrated by Brooke Smart ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2020
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
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