For nostalgic and literary purposes this app fits the bill, but beyond that there’s nothing that warrants labeling it a...
A handsomely illustrated, moderately interactive portrayal of the famous poem.
First published in the early-19th century, this 14-stanza ballad is familiar to many but probably doesn’t get the amount of airtime it used to. This particular adaptation isn’t a standout in terms of interactive wowability, but it offers enough to keep little ones engaged while they become familiar with the classic verse. The poem is stretched across eight pages (easily navigable using a tap- and tilt-sensitive scene-selection filmstrip), each one sporting a simple, warm illustration that includes one or more interactions. Characters and objects float across the screen, many of which can be held, moved or flung. The app is very sensitive to gravity (or rather has been programmed to appear so), which often makes tilting the tablet a highly effective interaction. On the opening page, Christmas balls fall from a wreath and can be ricocheted around the screen much like billiards. On the audio side, there are no sound effects or narration, just an instrumental loop of “Deck the Halls” that drones on in the background—though it can be silenced (highly recommended). Other than scene selection, there is no menu, except a tab that showcases the developer's other books.
For nostalgic and literary purposes this app fits the bill, but beyond that there’s nothing that warrants labeling it a “must-read.” (iPad storybook app. 3-8)Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: XIMAD
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property.
Since a reformed Grinch is hardly any fun, this follow-up Grinches him up once more.
Those seeking more of the same, prepare to receive precisely that. Christmas is coming (again!), and the Grinch can hardly wait. He’s been patient all year, and now he can finally show the Whos down in Who-ville how much he’s changed. When the Grinch learns of a tree-decorating contest, he figures that if he wins, it’ll prove he truly has the Christmas spirit. He throws himself into the task, but when it comes time to judge the trees, the Grinch is horrified to discover that he’s received only the second-place trophy. Can Cindy-Lou Who find the words to save the day? Replicating many of the original beats and wordplay of the original, this tale feels like less a sequel and more like a vaguely rewritten variation. Meanwhile, Ruiz’s art seeks to bridge the gap between the animated Chuck Jones version of the Grinch and the one depicted in the original book. This thankless task results in a strange uncanny valley between Seuss and Jones but does allow the artist a chance to colorize everything and lend some racial diversity to the Who population (Cindy-Lou is light-skinned). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593563168
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
SEEN & HEARD
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