THE TREE THAT REFUSED TO SHED

Name: THE TREE THAT REFUSED TO SHED
Author: Stephanie Yap

by Stephanie Yap ; illustrated by Stephanie Yap ; developed by Wenpo Sun ; Striding Bird Productions ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 20, 2014

This story may offer solid tutorials on the seasons and the existential benefits of detachment (pun intended), but its...

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A stubborn tree gets a perfunctory lesson about impermanence.

It would be interesting to know how many developers actually look at a children’s-book app as an amalgam of effective components. Interactive storybooks aren’t just about the concept; by nature, they’re also an experience, and the quality of that experience depends on the bundle. This app is a good case in point. The narrative is original and has the potential to be inspirational, but its telling is a bit dry and suffers from profoundly ineffective pacing. The tree’s unsuccessful struggle to preserve its leaves, for example, goes on for seven continuous screens. Then, on the eighth, readers see a sapling where the once obstinate tree had been. The end. There are very few interactive elements; the most interesting is the ability to move three tiny birds around in perfect synchronization. Gusts of wind produce ghostlike breezes that fly through the air like linear tumbleweeds. Optional narration must be summoned on each page with a tap. The app’s most glaring liability is the musical accompaniment, which drones on at a distracting volume without the option to turn it down or off.

This story may offer solid tutorials on the seasons and the existential benefits of detachment (pun intended), but its literary and technical vessels could use some work. (Requires iOS 6 and above.) (iPad storybook app. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2014

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Striding Bird Productions

Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014

- BOOK REVIEW
STRIDING BIRD
by Stephanie Yap & illustrated by Wenpo Sun & developed by Comicorp

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Awards & Accolades

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Our Verdict

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New York Times Bestseller

LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.

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Awards & Accolades

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37

Our Verdict

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New York Times Bestseller

In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.

Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 25, 2025

ISBN: 9780063387843

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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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)