This multilingual 17-page story-and-sticker app for the youngest readers charms. Simple rhyming text, one line per page, describes the daily activities of a lovably imperfect cat (“Scruffy Kitty adores the moon / Scruffy Kitty sings out of tune”) up until bedtime. Even the narrator seems to laugh at Scruffy Kitty’s antics, reinforcing readers’ responses. A muted blue background emphasizes the softness of the nighttime setting, while the spiky illustrations convey Scruffy Kitty’s energy. The page layout matches the uncluttered composition, with no navigation or other buttons to distract. The text fades in as it is read, then the page’s interactive element (usually Scruffy) pulses or appears to breathe. When tapped, he moves and makes a range of noises, revealing personality and emotion. (Note: Once read or tapped, text/objects cannot be immediately replayed. Move on.) There is a separate sticker activity, available off the main menu, that allows readers to generate scenes from Scruffy Kitty’s life on a digital canvas incorporating these images: duck, guitar, bath, moon, dustbin, door, grasshopper, tree, and mouse. Creations can be saved to the device’s photo library. Narration is available in English (with a British accent), French (Chaton Chiffon), Dutch (Zwerfkatje), Spanish (El Gato Solito) or Japanese. Toddlers will fall in love with Scruffy Kitten and this gently engaging app from Europe. (iPad storybook app. 1-4)
Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2010
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: WingedChariot
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Cute and sprightly but not a standout.
Deck the stalls?
A bevy of barnyard animals, a cat, and some dogs get fully into the Christmas spirit by sprucing up the farm with colorful decorations, including holly berries and sparkling baubles. They have a great time and sing while going about their merry chores in a manner somewhat in keeping with the rhythm of the classic tune “Deck the Halls.” (In fact, a flock of sheep are shown holding song sheets for it.) As might be expected with these particular celebrants, some of the familiar lyrics are altered just a bit; for instance, “boughs of holly” is “translated” as “cows and holly.” Adult readers expecting the rhythm here to work exactly as it does in the original will be disappointed, because it doesn’t—it’s clunky. This is merely a brief, lightweight spoof of the familiar ditty, so it’s recommended that grown-ups read rather than sing this—except for that final line!—to very young targeted audiences, who may be unfamiliar with the actual song anyway. Some fun is still to be had in the illustrations, however. The spirited, wittily expressive animal characters are depicted having a fine time romping about and producing a variety of onomatopoeic sounds throughout. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Cute and sprightly but not a standout. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66591-435-2
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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