While it could have been stronger with a few more surprises and features, the app's simplicity and novelty are nearly enough...
A kind of visual Mad Libs app, this one doesn't have a narrative or even consistent characters. But its very simple design and easy-to-grasp (both literally and figuratively) stickers make it fun nevertheless.
A title screen that has a hand-drawn look offers the options of "Make Up Your Own Story," "Match a Sticker Story," "Sticker Page Fun" and "Read a Saved Story" as big, box icons. The first option offers a scrolling rail at the bottom of the screen with 30 items ranging from "The Cupcake" to "The Kite" to "The Pig." Selecting an object's icon and sliding it into a blank, transparent box places it in a fill-in-the-blank story page (for instance, "The Spider said hello to The Flower"). This setup continues for eight pages, and then the story can be played back with narration or saved to be read again later. The "Match" game offers outlines of the objects, leaving the reader to scroll through the animals, clothes and other items to fill in the right shape. And "Sticker Page Fun" is a set of backgrounds on which to place stickers in a more free-form way. The rigid structure of the "Make Up" section doesn't exactly feel like it'll make anyone's imagination gallop at full pace, but the app is solidly built, supremely easy to navigate and filled with charmingly low-fi (but still effective) art. It's a shame there aren't more options available—to customize the story skeleton, record a reader's voice or even color the sticker pages, for instance.
While it could have been stronger with a few more surprises and features, the app's simplicity and novelty are nearly enough to make up for that. (iPad storybook app. 3-6)Pub Date: May 3, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Callaway Digital Arts
Review Posted Online: July 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property.
Since a reformed Grinch is hardly any fun, this follow-up Grinches him up once more.
Those seeking more of the same, prepare to receive precisely that. Christmas is coming (again!), and the Grinch can hardly wait. He’s been patient all year, and now he can finally show the Whos down in Who-ville how much he’s changed. When the Grinch learns of a tree-decorating contest, he figures that if he wins, it’ll prove he truly has the Christmas spirit. He throws himself into the task, but when it comes time to judge the trees, the Grinch is horrified to discover that he’s received only the second-place trophy. Can Cindy-Lou Who find the words to save the day? Replicating many of the original beats and wordplay of the original, this tale feels like less a sequel and more like a vaguely rewritten variation. Meanwhile, Ruiz’s art seeks to bridge the gap between the animated Chuck Jones version of the Grinch and the one depicted in the original book. This thankless task results in a strange uncanny valley between Seuss and Jones but does allow the artist a chance to colorize everything and lend some racial diversity to the Who population (Cindy-Lou is light-skinned). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593563168
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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