The bright colors, unusually vigorous animation and variety of digital games will spark many a “Yo Ho Ho!” (iPad storybook...
Buckling swash to the max, doughty Princess Isabel sets out on a pirate adventure positively awash in tap- and tilt-activated action.
Screens of setup narrative are read (optionally, and in any of four European languages) in scenery-chewing, piratical voices. These alternate with interactive scenes played out with cartoon figures rendered in supersaturated colors. These pop up into view on an illustrated page and remain until a tap on the “next” arrow abruptly sucks them back out of sight. Relatively sedate activities include dressing Isabel in an appropriate disguise or assembling a jigsaw treasure map. Action-oriented viewers can also blast away at a sea monster’s tentacles, guide a pirate ship past various floating dangers—or not, which results in loud, spectacular explosions—and, with a fingertip, “hack” at increasingly heavy cascades of fruit hurled directly at the screen by a crew of gibbering monkeys. Ultimately, Isabel rescues an admiring prince, saves her ship and forces a rival pirate captain to walk the plank. Avast! Off to the next adventure. Young salts can skip the storyline entirely, thanks to a strip index that provides access to the game screens alone; they can also move on to appended sets of jigsaw puzzles and sticker albums, though most of these last are locked away behind a pay wall.
The bright colors, unusually vigorous animation and variety of digital games will spark many a “Yo Ho Ho!” (iPad storybook app. 6-8)Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2013
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: StoryToys
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Inspiration, shrink wrapped.
From an artist, poet, and Instagram celebrity, a pep talk for all who question where a new road might lead.
Opening by asking readers, “Have you ever wanted to go in a different direction,” the unnamed narrator describes having such a feeling and then witnessing the appearance of a new road “almost as if it were magic.” “Where do you lead?” the narrator asks. The Road’s twice-iterated response—“Be a leader and find out”—bookends a dialogue in which a traveler’s anxieties are answered by platitudes. “What if I fall?” worries the narrator in a stylized, faux hand-lettered type Wade’s Instagram followers will recognize. The Road’s dialogue and the narration are set in a chunky, sans-serif type with no quotation marks, so the one flows into the other confusingly. “Everyone falls at some point, said the Road. / But I will always be there when you land.” Narrator: “What if the world around us is filled with hate?” Road: “Lead it to love.” Narrator: “What if I feel stuck?” Road: “Keep going.” De Moyencourt illustrates this colloquy with luminous scenes of a small, brown-skinned child, face turned away from viewers so all they see is a mop of blond curls. The child steps into an urban mural, walks along a winding country road through broad rural landscapes and scary woods, climbs a rugged metaphorical mountain, then comes to stand at last, Little Prince–like, on a tiny blue and green planet. Wade’s closing claim that her message isn’t meant just for children is likely superfluous…in fact, forget the just.
Inspiration, shrink wrapped. (Picture book. 6-8, adult)Pub Date: March 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-26949-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2021
Cuándo quieras un perro feliz, look no further.
A young Latine boy finally gets to rescue the dog of his dreams, but training can be a challenge in two languages.
Like many children, José has been dreaming of having a pet of his own, specifically un perro, a dog. Like any good owner, José promptly begins training his new canine companion but soon realizes his rescue mutt, Feliz, knows only words in English. This is a problem because in José’s home everyone speaks both Spanish and English. José and Feliz must rise to the challenge; fortunately, treats and snuggles are great motivators. The narrative uses Spanish words and phrases throughout (“perros blancos,” “¡Yo quiero este!” “¡Sientate!”), usually with English context clues for understanding. This is complex vocabulary for an early reader, and the shifting in phonics from English to Spanish will be challenging for true beginners; the book is best suited for intermediate to advanced readers in dual-language classrooms or homes. Much like Feliz, however, it is sure to find a loving (and bilingual) home. Cheerful illustrations complement the text, helping readers make sense of the narrative. While José and his mother are darker-skinned, his father and sister are lighter-skinned. (This review has been updated for accuracy.)
Cuándo quieras un perro feliz, look no further. (glossary of Spanish-English words) (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-52116-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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