An enjoyable, low-stimulation interactive story that should be great for bedtime.
A week of whimsical fun with a little girl and her three entertaining friends.
As the title suggests, the protagonist in this story has an odd bunch of pals. However, the unlikely quartet is never at a loss for something fun to do. Sundays are hide-and-seek days; Mondays are musical. Tuesday is art day, while Wednesdays are reserved for make-believe—and so on. This rhyming story is in keeping with Ink Robin’s other offerings (Leonard and Piccadilly’s Circus, both 2012), which is to say that it’s well-written and engaging. There are plenty of interactive opportunities throughout the story, though they’re pretty conventional and straightforward (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). On coloring day, swiping the screen produces little sketches and drawings; when the four play dress-up and make-believe, a flip of a switch finds the girl roaring across the screen in a monster costume. Tapping each character on music day produces makeshift instruments that can be strummed and pots that act as a drum kit. Illustrations are both cheerful and fittingly sparse, and the pleasant narration can be turned on or off. Near the end of the story, Mom reminds the foursome that playing can be messy. So they dutifully clean up their messes and take a bath, and then it’s off to bed.
An enjoyable, low-stimulation interactive story that should be great for bedtime. (requires iOS 6) (iPad storybook app. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 20, 2012
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Ink Robin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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