bookshelf

THE SNOW BALL

Name: THE SNOW BALL
Author: David Steinberg

by David Steinberg & illustrated by Liz Conrad & developed by PadWorx ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 23, 2012

Not much depth but enough breadth to keep little ones engaged for a short time.

bookshelf

Heavy snow gives a community of fun-loving polar bears a reprieve from school.

Most kids love it when school is cancelled due to inclement weather, especially when they get to play in the snow; the polar bears in this winter’s tale are no exception. They “go thump-thump-galumping” through the snow, make snow angels, throw snowballs at each other and “go flopping on the ice for a ride / balumping on their bellies, going slipidee-sliiiiiide.” In terms of interaction, this app doesn’t offer much—linear gliding movement, minimal tilt motion and rudimentary animation, for example. The illustrations are so cute, though (imagine a more primitive Coca Cola polar bear), that kids will probably enjoy just observing the adorable creatures having so much fun. Though readers can choose between “read myself” and “read to me” options, there’s a non-negotiable, bright and cheery soundtrack that loops in the background, a feature that would be nice to be able to switch off (or at least turn down). Kids are likely to enjoy the bonus “penguin attack” game for a short while, but it’s nothing spectacular. Perhaps the app’s greatest feature is that it’s dedicated to Conrad, the late illustrator, and a portion of the sale proceeds will be donated to cancer research in her honor.

Not much depth but enough breadth to keep little ones engaged for a short time. (iPad storybook app. 2-6)

Pub Date: Jan. 23, 2012

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: PadWorx

Review Posted Online: March 4, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2012

bookshelf

LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S CHRISTMAS

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 23, 2014

Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...

bookshelf

The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.

The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.

Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3

Page Count: 24

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

bookshelf

HOW TO CATCH AN ELF

From the How To Catch… series

by Adam Wallace ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 4, 2016

A forgettable effort that fails to capture any of the magical charm of Santa’s story. (Picture book. 3-6)

bookshelf

Wallace and Elkerton continue their series about catching elusive mythical creatures (How to Catch a Leprechaun, 2016, etc.) with this Christmas story about an elf who must avoid traps constructed by children before Santa’s annual visit.

The unnamed elf narrator is the sole helper traveling with Santa on his delivery rounds on Christmas Eve, with each house featuring a different type of trap for elves. The spunky elf avoids a mechanical “elf snatcher,” hidden in a plate of cookies, as well as simple traps made of tinsel, double-sided tape, and a cardboard box concealing a mean-looking cat. Another trap looks like a bomb hidden in a box of candy, and a complicated trap in a maze has an evil cowboy clown with a branding iron, leading to the elf’s cry, “Hey, you zapped my tushy!” The bomb trap and the branding iron seem to push the envelope of child-made inventions. The final trap is located in a family grocery store that’s booby-trapped with a “Dinner Cannon” shooting out food, including a final pizza that the elf and Santa share. The singsong, rhyming text has a forced cheeriness, full of golly-jolly-holly Christmas spirit and too many exclamation marks, as well as rhyming word pairs that miss the mark. (No, little elf-boy, “smarter” and “harder” do not rhyme.) Bold, busy illustrations in a cartoon style have a cheeky appeal with a focus on the freckle-faced white elf with auburn curls and a costume with a retro vibe. (Santa is also white.)

A forgettable effort that fails to capture any of the magical charm of Santa’s story. (Picture book. 3-6)