A pale shadow of the movie experience.
Disney’s latest spinoff app gets the story beats right but misses some magic in a problematic adaptation from film.
As in the titular film, itself an almost unrecognizable adaptation of “The Snow Queen,” princesses Elsa and Anna are separated when Elsa accidentally injures her sister with her ice magic. Years later, a stressful public event causes Elsa to reveal her powers and to inadvertently freeze the kingdom. Elsa flees but is followed by Anna, who sets off on a quest to save her sister. This story is told in a mix of illustrated pages and film clips. None of the songs from the movie are included, and the animated sequences appear washed-out compared to the bold, bright colors of the app’s illustrations. While the plot is recounted in bland, by-the-numbers passages (“Kristoff took Anna to the trolls. The trolls said that Elsa had put ice in Anna’s heart”), the app’s background music, visuals and narration are well-produced. And the app’s best feature (or gimmick if you’re cynical) is that some story pages can be swapped out by rotating the iPad 180 degrees, shifting Anna’s story to Elsa’s. The app designers wisely give plenty of attention to Olaf, the clueless, scene-stealing snowman. Extras include an ice-themed free-drawing tool, a snow globe and a set of frustrating puzzles in which shards of ice must be matched up.
A pale shadow of the movie experience. (iPad storybook app. 3-10)Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2013
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Disney Publishing Worldwide Applications
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
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A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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