A decent offering in terms of music and illustrations, but the bizarre storyline and the complete lack of interaction sink...
A loosely knit doggy meets his demise when his parents lock him in the bathroom closet for the day.
Based on the 2010 traditional book of the same name (which was based on the original song written by Daunais in the 1950s), this story chronicles the plight of Snag, whose parents banish him to a closet while they go to the park to observe humans in cages. The abandoned pup cries and eventually falls asleep, only to be almost completely eaten by a million tiny mites that leave only his tail. When Snag’s parents return and find that he’s been devoured, his mother uses her knitting needles to reconstruct him (begging the question, “Is it really the same dog since it’s a new ball of yarn?”) The song is super peppy, which—when combined with the warped storyline—is reminiscent of an antidepressant commercial that plays cheery music while the narrator reads all of the medication’s ghastly side effects. Illustrations are strikingly colorful and display beautifully on the iPad screen, but none of them are the least bit interactive in nature. “Watch” mode functions like a video (with very minor animation in places); “read” is silent with manual page turns; "sing" is karaoke with pictures.
A decent offering in terms of music and illustrations, but the bizarre storyline and the complete lack of interaction sink the ship. (iPad storybook app. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2012
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: The Secret Mountain
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2012
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
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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