Given that foodie culture has permeated even the school-cafeteria scene, it's a shame the app seems so flavorless. More...
A bit under-baked, this animated take on the old story of a baked good come to feisty life could have used a little more time in the oven.
After a little old woman bakes a gingerbread man (with "currants for eyes and a cherry for a nose"), the sneaky treat escapes through an open window. The old woman and a cow, horse and fox end up following until the gingerbread man is backed up against a rushing river. The sly fox agrees to take the cookie across but ends up gobbling up the gingerbread man instead. Kids weaned on the Shrek version of the gingerbread man's tale may be shocked by the abrupt ending. The old woman's grumbly, "You should be more careful whom you trust," isn't much consolation (or much of an ending, really, as it lacks the original's spooky death throes). The app features clear navigation arrows, ho-hum text—much of the zing of the gingerbread man's traditional taunts has gone stale—and minimal, non-interactive animations. But the illustrations are cute in their layered-felt-cutout style, and the optional narration is more than adequate.
Given that foodie culture has permeated even the school-cafeteria scene, it's a shame the app seems so flavorless. More ginger, less flour in the mix, please. (iPad storybook app. 3-6)Pub Date: June 3, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Zubadoo Media
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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