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BLUEBEAR BOOK

Name: BLUEBEAR BOOK
Author: Robert Lewis

by Robert Lewis & illustrated by Robert Lewis & developed by Leola Book ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 6, 2013

A plain-vanilla alternative to the frenetic hordes.

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This tale about a laid-back cobalt teddy bear demonstrates the value of a leisurely and unhurried lifestyle.

Bluebear leads a pretty charmed life. He lives in an adorable yellow-and-red cottage by the sea. In the spring, he plants tomatoes and then spends his summer tending the soil and drinking lemonade while gazing at the ocean. Once the tomatoes are ripe, he picks them, bakes bread and has a jazzy picnic with the flowers, butterflies and bees. Inspired by the calm and peaceful vibe of Fred Rogers, Lewis wrote and illustrated the story for his young son in the early 1990s (according to an author’s note). This adaptation most certainly moves at a snail’s pace and offers very limited animation and interaction, which seems to be the point here. Butterflies flutter by; potted tomato plants play the notes of a scale when individually tapped; flour puffs across the screen while Bluebear is baking bread. But for the most part, each page offers minimal movement. The optional narration is likewise deliberate, and unfortunately, it is drowned out at times by the otherwise enjoyable musical accompaniments. Tap the “fun” button for a step-by-step tutorial on baking bread (which is enticing, but seems a little ambitious for a preschooler app activity).

A plain-vanilla alternative to the frenetic hordes. (iPad storybook app. 1-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2013

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Leola Book LLC

Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014

- BOOK REVIEW
RED CLOUD'S WAR
by Paul Goble ; illustrated by Paul Goble ; introduction by Robert Lewis

- BOOK REVIEW
PINE AND THE WINTER SPARROW
retold by Alexis York Lumbard ; illustrated by Beatriz Vidal ; introduction by Robert Lewis

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 8, 2020

Little Blue Truck keeps on truckin’—but not without some backfires.

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Little Blue Truck feels, well, blue when he delivers valentine after valentine but receives nary a one.

His bed overflowing with cards, Blue sets out to deliver a yellow card with purple polka dots and a shiny purple heart to Hen, one with a shiny fuchsia heart to Pig, a big, shiny, red heart-shaped card to Horse, and so on. With each delivery there is an exchange of Beeps from Blue and the appropriate animal sounds from his friends, Blue’s Beeps always set in blue and the animal’s vocalization in a color that matches the card it receives. But as Blue heads home, his deliveries complete, his headlight eyes are sad and his front bumper droops ever so slightly. Blue is therefore surprised (but readers may not be) when he pulls into his garage to be greeted by all his friends with a shiny blue valentine just for him. In this, Blue’s seventh outing, it’s not just the sturdy protagonist that seems to be wilting. Schertle’s verse, usually reliable, stumbles more than once; stanzas such as “But Valentine’s Day / didn’t seem much fun / when he didn’t get cards / from anyone” will cause hitches during read-alouds. The illustrations, done by Joseph in the style of original series collaborator Jill McElmurry, are pleasant enough, but his compositions often feel stiff and forced.

Little Blue Truck keeps on truckin’—but not without some backfires. (Board book. 1-4)

Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-358-27244-1

Page Count: 20

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- 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

- BOOK REVIEW
GOOD NIGHT, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S SPRINGTIME

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 2, 2018

Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.

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Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.

This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.

Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)