Appropriately for the audience, there’s no story line or dazzling special effects—just a creatively imagined encounter with...
This toddler app revolves around the children’s song of the same name, the first in a planned suite by the illustrator of the now-classic My Very First Mother Goose.
Once the app is launched, one of Wells' trademark sturdy bunnies appears wearing Western clothes, while an orchestral version of “Chicken Reel” loops in the background. Tap the animal, and the violins give way to a small group of children singing the nursery song, while the bunny points to his corresponding body parts. (Fair warning: You may never be able to get the tune out of your head.) Readers are given two other options: Tap the body parts for individual display and enunciation of the words, or record your own version for playback. A menu at the top of the screen shows four different snapshots, each of the same bunny dressed in other attire (which represents the other languages the song is available in—French, Spanish and Japanese). Select a different snapshot and the bunny turns and skips merrily to another screen where he finds a new location, a new set of threads and language/music that reflects that particular ethnicity. Auryn, Inc., hit grand slams with previous releases Teddy’s Day (2010) and The Little Mermaid (2011). This is a perfectly adorable app that makes good use of iPad technology, but it is a much more basic offering than its predecessors.
Appropriately for the audience, there’s no story line or dazzling special effects—just a creatively imagined encounter with a song that has universal toddler appeal. More, please! (iPad storybook app. 1-3)Pub Date: April 8, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Auryn
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2011
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Cute and sprightly but not a standout.
Deck the stalls?
A bevy of barnyard animals, a cat, and some dogs get fully into the Christmas spirit by sprucing up the farm with colorful decorations, including holly berries and sparkling baubles. They have a great time and sing while going about their merry chores in a manner somewhat in keeping with the rhythm of the classic tune “Deck the Halls.” (In fact, a flock of sheep are shown holding song sheets for it.) As might be expected with these particular celebrants, some of the familiar lyrics are altered just a bit; for instance, “boughs of holly” is “translated” as “cows and holly.” Adult readers expecting the rhythm here to work exactly as it does in the original will be disappointed, because it doesn’t—it’s clunky. This is merely a brief, lightweight spoof of the familiar ditty, so it’s recommended that grown-ups read rather than sing this—except for that final line!—to very young targeted audiences, who may be unfamiliar with the actual song anyway. Some fun is still to be had in the illustrations, however. The spirited, wittily expressive animal characters are depicted having a fine time romping about and producing a variety of onomatopoeic sounds throughout. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Cute and sprightly but not a standout. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66591-435-2
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Exactly what readers want and expect from the board-book master.
Pookie and family celebrate Thanksgiving.
Boynton’s precocious little pig is back in this holiday installment. The family gets ready for Thanksgiving by baking pies, welcoming Nemmy and Boppa for dinner, and sharing gratitude (and pie!). Boynton’s familiar rhyming text and simple, thick-lined illustrations are exactly what readers have come to expect from this series: Pookie is a little silly, the story bounces along, and the artwork is warm and cozy. Though most of the action takes place inside, the passage of day is clear through the window, from daylight to the setting sun. Decorations and a tree with just a few leaves on it indicate the autumnal season. There are two pages where numbers are called out, presented differently from the rest of the typeface (Pookie and their parents prepare apple pie and one pumpkin pie, and there will be five guests at dinner). The only bolded digits are one and five, even though the text does mention that there will be a total of two pies—a stylistic choice that seems to point readers to counting practice but that feels a bit random. Overall, though, this is a worthy new story about one of Boynton’s most beloved characters. True to form, it’s a toddler-friendly read, providing context for the festivities and a sweet representation of gratitude. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Exactly what readers want and expect from the board-book master. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66592-263-0
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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