Not quite up to par with Ink Robin’s previous offerings: simultaneously solid and stolid.
A bright blue bird becomes lost in New York City after chasing a wayward balloon.
Jerry the budgie and his two best friends—a boy and a dog—play together every day. When a gust of wind steals their balloon, Jerry sets out to retrieve it. But eventually, he loses track of the balloon, as well as his whereabouts. The rest of the book finds Jerry wandering through the neighborhoods of Manhattan, where he encounters hipster possums, chess-playing cockroaches and foxes who are graffiti artists, among others. The graphics are photo/cartoon hybrids along the lines of the Knuffle Bunny books, with drawings superimposed over snapshots of various New York landmarks. Unfortunately, the pizzazz stops with the illustrations. Though the narrator injects some vocal dynamics into the reading, both the story and the delivery have a bit of a monotonous feel. Whether “Read it to me” or “Read it myself” is selected, visual text must be prompted on every page by tapping the “T” icon at the top of the screen. There’s interaction on every page, but nothing stands out as particularly remarkable; squirrels scamper; raccoons dine; chipmunks cycle. The index is a map of Manhattan that shows where Jerry encounters each creature and takes readers to those places in the app.
Not quite up to par with Ink Robin’s previous offerings: simultaneously solid and stolid. (Requires iOS 6 and above.) (iPad storybook app. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2013
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Ink Robin
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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