A decent offering in terms of music and illustrations, but the bizarre storyline and the complete lack of interaction sink...
A loosely knit doggy meets his demise when his parents lock him in the bathroom closet for the day.
Based on the 2010 traditional book of the same name (which was based on the original song written by Daunais in the 1950s), this story chronicles the plight of Snag, whose parents banish him to a closet while they go to the park to observe humans in cages. The abandoned pup cries and eventually falls asleep, only to be almost completely eaten by a million tiny mites that leave only his tail. When Snag’s parents return and find that he’s been devoured, his mother uses her knitting needles to reconstruct him (begging the question, “Is it really the same dog since it’s a new ball of yarn?”) The song is super peppy, which—when combined with the warped storyline—is reminiscent of an antidepressant commercial that plays cheery music while the narrator reads all of the medication’s ghastly side effects. Illustrations are strikingly colorful and display beautifully on the iPad screen, but none of them are the least bit interactive in nature. “Watch” mode functions like a video (with very minor animation in places); “read” is silent with manual page turns; "sing" is karaoke with pictures.
A decent offering in terms of music and illustrations, but the bizarre storyline and the complete lack of interaction sink the ship. (iPad storybook app. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2012
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: The Secret Mountain
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2012
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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