Similar in style to the groundbreaking Alice for iPad, this collection of three stories ("The Little Mermaid," "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "The Happy Family") retains the original (translated) texts and illustrations and adds a generous portion of gorgeous, well-integrated animations and eye-catching effects. Helpfully, the list of stories tells readers what to expect in terms of length ("Mermaid" is long, "Clothes" is medium-length and "Family" is short). The stories share similar typography (ornate drop caps and page-turn icons), but each one has its own set of appropriate interactive pages. In "Mermaid," fish can be prodded along with taps while flora can be made to sway realistically in the virtual ocean water. Shooting stars and fireworks light up the night sky above. The fabric in "Clothes" can be pulled from a spool on one page; on another, needle and thread can be manipulated. But the kissing snails, falling raindrops and realistic scurrying ants in "Happy Family" may be the most effective. The stories lack voiced narration but are rich with sound effects. There's no crime in being inspired by one of the best iPad storybook apps; this collection stands on its own with the sheer number of things it does right, even in comparison to Alice. It's a beautiful little virtual book collection. (iPad storybook app. 4-12)
Pub Date: Dec. 23, 2010
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2011
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs.
The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement.
When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves—during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and—most serious—civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house—and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw—Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend). While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. Whew.
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3903-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019
SEEN & HEARD
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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