In all, Gabi’s ferocity comes across as pretty limp. Pass.
Gabi is excited to receive a surprise present from her grandmother, but, once unwrapped, the gift box reveals a pink T-shirt. (See title.)
Akin to waving a red cape at a bull, the very pinkness of the T-shirt enrages Gabi, and she unleashes her ire on her unsuspecting friend, Ben. Fighting the stereotype that all girls like pink, Gabi details her hatred of pink and affinity for blue. Fortunately Ben is fast on his feet and swaps his blue T-shirt for the offending pink gift. The author, who has a soft twang, narrates at a moderate pace and attempts to infuse emotion into an otherwise flat dialogue, which is only slightly enhanced by vocal exclamation and varying type sizes and colors. A few animated elements, such as tissue paper flying from the gift box, notwithstanding, the iPad platform is not leveraged. Navigation is standard, with a simple finger swipe to turn pages; at the story’s conclusion, however, there is no easy way to return to the title page—instead readers are subjected to advertising for other apps from the publisher. The text’s final pages feature several story-related questions that attempt to connect the text’s themes to the reader’s own experiences.
In all, Gabi’s ferocity comes across as pretty limp. Pass. (iPad storybook app. 4-6)Pub Date: April 25, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: PicPocket Books
Review Posted Online: July 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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
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