MONSTER MORNING

Name: MONSTER MORNING
Author: Franca Munoz

by Franca Munoz ; Edith Wilcox Mevec ; illustrated by Franca Munoz ; developed by Purple Ely ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 20, 2013

The little monsters in this family seem happy, loved and well-adjusted. They’re worth a visit.

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The morning rituals of little school-bound monsters are examined in friendly detail in an app structured like a family scrapbook.

Peter and Peril, monster siblings with very different personalities, get up at dawn to start their day, then eat breakfast, get cleaned up, pack their things in backpacks and board a rocket ship. Each step is shown on a page with touch options to help them along (getting Peril dressed, for instance, or feeding Peter his bug-laden breakfast). The pages are lined with bright borders within which readers will find movable doo-dads like buttons, birds, and the mom and dad monsters. Their nonthreatening world is filled with polka dots, flower patterns and familiar routines, setting a soothing tone for even very young readers who may be ambivalent about spending time with even these harmless-looking monsters. It’s easy to navigate, well-narrated and offers rhymes that don’t overstay their welcome and only occasionally reach too far (“Peter and Peril are ready to go. / You’ve helped them out from head to toe. / That’s not an easy thing to undergo. / They’re so happy you helped them, you know”).

The little monsters in this family seem happy, loved and well-adjusted. They’re worth a visit. (iPad storybook app. 2-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2013

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Purple Ely

Review Posted Online: March 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2013

- BOOK REVIEW
MONSTER HOLIDAY
by Edith Ann Mevec & illustrated by Franca Munoz & developed by Demibooks & Purple Ely

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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...

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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 AND RACER RED
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- 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

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.

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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)