Plenty of superficial child appeal, but the writer and the illustrator remain deservedly cloaked in anonymity.
Bright, busy and oh-so-bland cartoons positively festooned with touch-activated effects carry this newly rhymed version of the classic fable.
No one's going to visit this for the labored text. It sacrifices scansion to rhyme, pounds the moral home and ends on a trite note (“Tortoise and Hare remain friends to this day, / Enjoying the sunshine as they work and play”). At least it, along with the relentlessly chipper British narrator, can be switched off—unlike the sound effects and the brassy, short-looped musical track. Children are likely to care less about the plot anyway than the interactions. They can make the racers and many of the animal onlookers in the woodsy scenes leap and giggle, hiss, chirp, chuckle, nod, cheer, pant, flap wings, blink or (even Tortoise does this, and during the actual race, too) pop into and out of shells with a touch. In service to repeat visitors who may be less interested in the story than in the effects, a button visible on every screen in both the manual and the “Auto Play” options opens a menu with access to a strip of thumbnails to expedite fast navigation. That same menu, plus multiple links at beginning and end offer easy access to the publisher’s other titles in the App Store.
Plenty of superficial child appeal, but the writer and the illustrator remain deservedly cloaked in anonymity. (iPad storybook app. 4-6)Pub Date: May 6, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: TabTale
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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