WHERE IS YOUR NOSE, NIBBLY?

Name: WHERE IS YOUR NOSE, NIBBLY?
Author: Barney Saltzberg

by Barney Saltzberg & illustrated by Barney Saltzberg & developed by Mochi Development, Inc. ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2011

Navigation issue aside, Nibbly is a cute and well-designed app that the littlest iPad users will likely enjoy.

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Charming mice ask Nibbly the bunny to point out his various body parts.

This app is clearly designed for the diaper/toddler set, so it’s no surprise that the design is basic. There’s no animation, no touch-activated features except page flips and scrolls (the pages “turn” downward rather than left to right) and a doorbell that rings when touched. Dialogue is conveyed in comic-style bubbles, and the story is framed entirely in a question-and-answer format. Each page is a split screen, with a mouse on one side asking a question, such as “Where is your mouth, Nibbly?” Nibbly is seen on the right, holding a beach ball in front of his mouth. When touched, Nibbly’s half of the screen flips over, and he responds, “Right here,” pointing to his now-visible mouth. The illustrations are cute and colorful, and the narrator’s voice is endearing. There is, however, a glaring navigation problem. Transitioning from page to page is smooth and fast, but once the story is over there’s no way to get back to the beginning. Even if readers close the app and switch off the iPad, when they return to the story once again they will land in the exact same place: the end. To start over, one must manually scroll the pages backward until they reach the beginning.

Navigation issue aside, Nibbly is a cute and well-designed app that the littlest iPad users will likely enjoy. (iPad storybook app. 1-4)

Pub Date: April 28, 2011

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Mochi Development, Inc.

Review Posted Online: June 3, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2011

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THE SMELL OF WET DOG
by Barney Saltzberg ; illustrated by Barney Saltzberg

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ARLO NEEDS GLASSES
by Barney Saltzberg ; illustrated by Barney Saltzberg

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A DELICIOUS STORY
by Barney Saltzberg ; illustrated by Barney Saltzberg

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MOO, BAA, FA LA LA LA LA!

by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2022

Cute and sprightly but not a standout.

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Deck the stalls?

A bevy of barnyard animals, a cat, and some dogs get fully into the Christmas spirit by sprucing up the farm with colorful decorations, including holly berries and sparkling baubles. They have a great time and sing while going about their merry chores in a manner somewhat in keeping with the rhythm of the classic tune “Deck the Halls.” (In fact, a flock of sheep are shown holding song sheets for it.) As might be expected with these particular celebrants, some of the familiar lyrics are altered just a bit; for instance, “boughs of holly” is “translated” as “cows and holly.” Adult readers expecting the rhythm here to work exactly as it does in the original will be disappointed, because it doesn’t—it’s clunky. This is merely a brief, lightweight spoof of the familiar ditty, so it’s recommended that grown-ups read rather than sing this—except for that final line!—to very young targeted audiences, who may be unfamiliar with the actual song anyway. Some fun is still to be had in the illustrations, however. The spirited, wittily expressive animal characters are depicted having a fine time romping about and producing a variety of onomatopoeic sounds throughout. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Cute and sprightly but not a standout. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-66591-435-2

Page Count: 16

Publisher: Boynton Bookworks

Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
HIPPOS REMAIN CALM
by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton

- BOOK REVIEW
WOO HOO! YOU'RE DOING GREAT!
by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton

- BOOK REVIEW
HAPPY EASTER, LITTLE POOKIE
by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S SPRINGTIME

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 2, 2018

Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.

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Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.

This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.

Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)