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THE LONELY BEAST ABC

Name: THE LONELY BEAST ABC
Author: Chris Judge

by Chris Judge & illustrated by Chris Judge & developed by James Kelleher ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2013

Pleasantly unprepossessing from A to Z.

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Blinking its yellow eyes, the eponymous Beast (The Lonely Beast, 2011) squires diapered digerati through the ABCs in this simple but (largely) satisfying app.

Though a black, hairy and (except for those eyes) featureless silhouette, the Beast comes off as an agreeable tour guide in Judge’s cleanly drawn and brightly colored scenes. On each screen, a large single letter (shown in upper- and lowercase) starts a declarative sentence (“Y is for yo-yo”) that is read—repeatedly, with taps—by the author. With further taps and, usually, help from familiar animals or other figures, the Beast rows by in a Boat as fish flit out of sight, pounds away on Drums, emits a raspberry through an attached Elephant trunk, models a series of Hats and Kicks balls belonging to a variety of sports as off-screen crowds cheer. Children can also pop bubbles for a Crab, place various foods atop a Fork, consume Ice-Cream and an Orange, and play a Xylophone on the way to a noisy Zoo. The design is somewhat inflexible, as there is no way to skip around aside from swiping back or forth one screen at a time, and restarts require either closing the app or reaching a “Start Over” button at the end. Nevertheless, the touch-activated effects offer some compensation with a range of pleasing, often surprising sounds and animations.

Pleasantly unprepossessing from A to Z. (iPad alphabet app. 2-4)

Pub Date: June 1, 2013

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: James Kelleher

Review Posted Online: July 16, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2013

- BOOK REVIEW
CLOUD BABIES
by Eoin Colfer ; illustrated by Chris Judge

- BOOK REVIEW
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS SWEATER (AND THE SHEEP WHO CHANGED EVERYTHING)
by Ryan Tubridy ; illustrated by Chris Judge

- BOOK REVIEW
AWESOME ACHIEVERS IN TECHNOLOGY
by Alan Katz ; illustrated by Chris Judge

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.

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A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.

Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: July 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3

Page Count: 16

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ANIMAL SHAPES

by Christopher Silas Neal ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2018

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.

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You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!

What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)