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ROCKIN' THREE BILLY GOATS

Name: ROCKIN' THREE BILLY GOATS
Author: Dianne de Las Casas

by Dianne de Las Casas & illustrated by Stefan Jolet & developed by The Story Connection ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 8, 2012

This goes to show that a little creativity and funkiness go a long way. Rock on.

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Interaction is very minimal, illustrations are featureless, and navigation is clunky, but there’s one distinct element that makes this retelling of the Norwegian folk tale worth the price of admission.

It’s hardly necessary to recount the story’s elements, as they’re widely known. But for the uninitiated: A troll threatens three billy goats and ends up mortally thwarted. Narration plugs along at a (very) measured pace, but just when readers might be tempted to catch some shut-eye, a little jingle (accompanied by groovy finger snaps) pops up unexpectedly to aid the goat in crossing the bridge: “Trip, Trap Trippity Trap / A Trip Trap Trippity Trap Uh, Uh, Uh.” It’s catchy to a fault. On the next page, the troll breaks into a full-blown rap, complete with a drum loop and turntable drags. Each time a goat crosses the bridge both ditties are repeated, and they’re infused with so much gusto and silliness they lift the app out of mediocrity. It’s unfortunate that in “read myself” mode there are no sound effects, as they could have helped kids hone their rhythm and syncopation skills. The most glaring oversight, however, is that there’s no way to start the story over or navigate through pages without either going forward or backward through every screen or rebooting the app.

This goes to show that a little creativity and funkiness go a long way. Rock on. (iPad storybook app 3-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2012

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Story Connection

Review Posted Online: Oct. 23, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012

- BOOK REVIEW
BEWARE, BEWARE OF THE BIG BAD BEAR!
by Dianne de Las Casas & illustrated by Marita Gentry

- BOOK REVIEW
DINOSAUR MARDI GRAS
by Dianne de Las Casas & illustrated by Marita Gentry

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A DRAGON IN THE LIBRARY
by Dianne de Las Casas & illustrated by Marita Gentry

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Awards & Accolades

Likes

13

New York Times Bestseller

IndieBound Bestseller

DRAGONS LOVE TACOS

From the Dragons Love Tacos series

by Adam Rubin & illustrated by Daniel Salmieri ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2012

A wandering effort, happy but pointless.

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Awards & Accolades

Likes

13

New York Times Bestseller

IndieBound Bestseller

The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.

Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.

A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: June 14, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012

Categories:

CHILDREN'S DRAGONS & MYTHICAL CREATURES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE COUCH
by Adam Rubin ; illustrated by Liniers

- BOOK REVIEW
THE HUMAN KABOOM
by Adam Rubin

- BOOK REVIEW
THE ICE CREAM MACHINE
by Adam Rubin ; illustrated by Daniel Salmieri , Charles Santoso , Liniers , Emily Hughes , Nicole Miles & Seaerra Miller

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CINDERELLA

From the Once Upon a World series

by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Sandra Equihua ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016

A nice but not requisite purchase.

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A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.

Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.

A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)