MY DAD DRIVES A ROLLER COASTER CAR

Name: MY DAD DRIVES A ROLLER COASTER CAR
Author: Bill Doyle

by Bill Doyle & illustrated by Daniel Guidera & developed by Crab Hill Press, LLC ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2011

Hank's a lucky kid by most any definition; his family gets around on carnival rides like carousel horses, rocket ships, a...

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Dynamic, motion-filled pages and a hip, retro visual style make for a fabulous ride.

Hank's a lucky kid by most any definition; his family gets around on carnival rides like carousel horses, rocket ships, a log-flume vessel and the titular roller coaster car his dad drives. But his constant pleas to take the wheel (or reins) are met with equally constant rejections... until Hank gets a welcome surprise that allows him to make his own amusement-park path. The pages of the story are buoyed by distinctive illustrations that wouldn't be out of place in an entertainment magazine and typography that spins, pops out and bumps up against characters in clever ways. But the real meat of the app is the zippy way that the characters and their horses, teacups and coaster cars bound across the page (and over it, under it, around it). Simple screen taps activate nearly all the motions, making it accessible to young readers, while its sophisticated look and clever writing ("Someday isn't even a real day!") make it appealing for older kids.

Pub Date: March 31, 2011

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Crab Hill Press, LLC

Review Posted Online: April 25, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2011

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by Bill Doyle

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by Bill Doyle

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by Bill Doyle ; illustrated by Sarah Sax

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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HOW TO CATCH SANTA CLAUS

From the How To Catch… series

by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2023

Cookie-cutter predictability.

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After all the daring escapes in the How To Catch… series, will the kids be able to catch Santa?

Oddly, previous installments saw the children trying (and failing) to catch an elf and a reindeer, but both are easily captured in this story. Santa, however, is slippery. Tempted but not fooled by poinsettias, a good book (attached to a slingshot armed with a teddy bear projectile), and, of course, milk and cookies, Santa foils every plan. The hero in a red suit has a job to do. Presents must be placed, and lists must be checked. He has no time for traps and foolery (except if you’re the elf, who falls for every one of them). Luckily, Santa helps the little rascal escape each time. Little is new here—the kids resort to similar snares found in previous works: netting, lures, and technological wonders such as the Santa Catcher 5000. Although the rhythm falters quite a bit (“How did we get out you ask? / It looked like we were done for. / Santa’s magic is very real, / and I cannot reveal more”), fans of the series may not mind. Santa and Christmas just might be enough to overcome the flaws. Santa and the elf are light-skinned, one of the children is brown-skinned, and the other presents as Asian. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Cookie-cutter predictability. (Picture book. 3-6)