The Book Report: Sharing the latest in books, apps and literary marketplace news

'Books' by Paula Slade

Today’s edition of “The Book Report” focuses on a charming book and CD about a duck in New York, and a newly released app that features a delightful opera-singing hippo. We also highlight this week’s upcoming author visit to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

EVENTS

Talking About Words and Pictures with Barry Moser

Sunday, July 10, 2011 at 11:30 a.m.

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

125 West Bay Road, Amherst, Massachusetts 01001

FREE event with regular museum admission

Barry Moser visits the Carle for a conversation about his life, career and his books. A book signing with Mr. Mosner will follow this event.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES FROM THE CARLE:

“The books Moser has illustrated and/or designed forms a list of over three hundred titles. That list includes the Arion Press Moby-Dick and the University of California Press The Divine Comedy of Dante. Moser's edition of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, won the National Book Award for design and illustration in 1983 and prompted the poet John Ashbery writing in NEWSWEEK (March 1, 1982), to call Moser's work “never less than dazzling.”

In addition to being an illustrator, Barry Moser is also a printer, painter, printmaker, designer, author, essayist, and teacher. His work is represented in numerous collections, museums, and libraries in the United States and abroad, including The National Gallery of Art, Washington, The Metropolitan Museum, The British Museum and The Library of Congress, to name a few.

Mr. Moser lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, two English mastiffs and four cats. He has three grown daughters and nine grandchildren.”

For event details: Email: info@carlemuseum.org |www.carlemuseum.org or Phone: (413) 658-1100 | Fax: (413) 658-1139

BOOKS

Un pato en Nueva York

This book is a charming adaptation and translation to Spanish from author/songwriter Connie Kaldor’s Parents’ Choice and Juno Award-winning Book and CD, A Duck in New York City.

Produced by The Secret Mountain, a high quality Montreal based publisher of children’s picture books, videos and music, Un pato en Nueva York is the tale of a little duck from the heartland who has a big dream – to dance his little ducky feet on a Broadway stage.

The book is delightfully illustrated by Fil & Juli; expertly translated by noted Cuban author Yanitzia Canetti, and includes narration and vocals for the CD by Ines Canepa.

You can preview and download all 13 MP3 tracks through The Secret Mountain where the tracks are available for $1.25 CDN each. There is also window on the same listening page that provides a link to view the entire book online before purchasing. Both book and CD are offered for $22.95 CDN.

APPS

Hildegard Sings

First introduced in 1993 as a delightful children’s book by Thomas Wharton, Hildegard Sings is the tale of one very voluptuous hippo, Hildegard Rhineheffer whose dreams of stardom as an opera singer are as endearing as her quest to overcome stage fright when fate provides her a big break

Beautifully illustrated with bright watercolors, this app engages and charms.

Produced by One Hundred Robots, the app is compatible with iPad, iPod and iPhone and requires iOS 4.0 or later. It has 28 interactive features including read- to-me or read-to-myself options, spoofs of famous opera classics, an opera glossary, navigation map, matching game and much more.

The video below gives a bit of a preview of Hildegard Sings. To view more screenshots and check out product reviews or for ordering, visit the Hildegard Sings iTunes page where the app is specially priced for only $1.99.