If the curious protagonist in this story were reading his own tale on an iPad, he might get a little bored.
This “multi-touch” children’s book aims to minimize distraction, but in the process, it ultimately neutralizes the power of the medium.
This adaptation was built using the iBooks Author tool from Apple and thus must be read in the iBooks app. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, except that there are clearly limitations on what the interface is capable of. Within the story itself there are four “tap here” activities: two that activate extremely basic animations and two that give readers the ability to complete trivial tasks. Other than that, the story is indistinguishable from its ink-and-paper version. There’s no narration, no music and no tap-sensitive text. There is, however, an activities section that sports a Mad-Libs–style fill-in-the-blank thank-you note; a “spot the difference” illustration comparison; and a maze that must be solved in readers’ heads, as there is no tactile way to trace a path. The multilingual “thank you” dictionary teaches the phrase in 10 different languages, complete with audio clips of pronunciations. It’s not necessary (or productive) to clutter up a storybook app with gratuitous noise and motion. But a tablet does have the potential to deepen the reading experience, and this one definitely stays in the shallow end of the app pool.
If the curious protagonist in this story were reading his own tale on an iPad, he might get a little bored. (iPad storybook app, 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2012
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: Jan. 6, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
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
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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