SENDA AND THE GLUTTON DRAGON

Name: SENDA AND THE GLUTTON DRAGON
Author: Soyo Interactive

developed by Soyo Interactive ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 20, 2014

Still, it's very hard to resist a dragon who finally eats his vegetables; parents who are trying to wean a child off an...

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A candy-devouring dragon is at the heart of this fairy-tale–themed bedtime story.

Little Senda hears a story of a "Glutton Dragon" at reading time and then imagines herself helping a prince and princess in a typical faraway kingdom. The dragon makes off with the princess when he mistakes her for sweets. Senda and the prince teach the fire-breathing but otherwise very easygoing dragon that there are others kinds of food to eat, including carrots, potatoes and peas. Princess saved, Senda returns from her imagination to finish off the school day, then goes home and is tucked in. The app’s presentation is lovely, with dynamic animations and detailed color illustrations with a wider palette than is usually seen. The backgrounds are wider than the screen, allowing readers to move the image left and right and giving each page a panorama effect. The app keeps a running tally of the 100 or so stars readers can collect throughout the story. Unfortunately, the text ranges from only serviceable to clumsy, as if a few bad translations made it through editing: "The Prince suggested the Dragon: We'll cook a delicious meal for you and, in turn, you'll free the princess."

Still, it's very hard to resist a dragon who finally eats his vegetables; parents who are trying to wean a child off an all-sugar diet should take a look. (Requires iOS 6 and above.) (iPad storybook app. 3-7)

Pub Date: July 20, 2014

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: SOYO Interactive

Review Posted Online: Sept. 2, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2014

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ADDIE ANT GOES ON AN ADVENTURE

by Maren Morris & Karina Argow ; illustrated by Kelly Anne Dalton ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 9, 2024

Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade.

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An ant explores her world.

Addie Ant’s ready for adventure. Despite some trepidation about leaving the Tomato Bed, where she lives with her aunt, she plucks up her courage and ventures forth across the garden to the far side of the shed. On her journey, she meets her pal Lewis Ladybug, who greets her warmly, points the way, and offers sage advice. When Addie arrives at her destination, she’s welcomed by lovely Beatrix Butterfly and enjoys an “ant-tastic” helping of watermelon. Beatrix also provides Addie with take-home treats and a map for the “Cricket Express,” which will take her straight home. Arriving at the terminal, Addie’s delighted to meet another friend, Cleo Cricket, whose carriage service returns Addie home in “two hops.” After eating a warm tomato soup dinner, Addie falls asleep and dreams of future exploits. Adorable though not terribly original, this story brims with sensuous pleasures, both textual and visual. Kids who declare that they dislike fruits or veggies may find their mouths watering at the mentions and sights of luscious tomatoes, peas, beans, watermelons, berries, and other foodstuffs; insect-averse readers may likewise think differently after encountering these convivial, wide-eyed characters. And those flowers and herbs everywhere! The highlights are the colors that burst from the pages. Addie’s an endearing, empowering character who reassures children they’ll be able to take those first independent steps successfully.

Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade. (author’s note about ants) (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 9, 2024

ISBN: 9781797228914

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)