Age range: Recommended as 4+. The characters, storyline and interactions are fairy simplistic so I would recommend this for a young age group, such as 4-7.
Features:
Can choose between a "Read to Me" option, which includes a narrator who automatically reads each page, "Auto play", which was automatically read the entire story, or "Read it Myself", where you can record your own voice-over for each page.
On the pages there are background noises, such as the ticking of a clock. The narrator provides a steady voice to engage the children in the story.
The pages are interactive; when you tap one of the characters or objects with your fingertip they move and perform an action sequence. Most pages are very busy, with lots to interact with. The child can choose when they are done with the page and want to skip onto the next one by selecting the arrows. It is a linear storyline.
There also includes mini games, which isn't part of the main story. This includes counting games, jigsaws, painting, developing memory skills and dress-up games. The dress-up game involves the user in character design. You can design the look of the princess that will follow through the game. This adds personalization.
The additional features engage the child in the story, which encourages them, in turn, to get more involved with reading.
Some pages, however, are quite repetitive and there is little to interact with. These pages rely on the story and the movement of the characters to stop the child from becoming bored. I think these pages could be improved by adding more stimuli.
After you have played around with various objects, there is little else to do on the page. The movement of the objects are usually quite similar too. Perhaps further games could be added to these pages or there could be hidden objects to discover.
Who Stole the Moon by Windy Press
Age: Again, this is recommended as 4+.
Features:
- Glimmering stars appear where the player touches the screen. Later on in the story, characters also appear when you click.
- The main character reacts when the user clicks on them. They move, jump into action etc.
- As in the other app, a narrator talks through the story.
- There are parts of the story where there is more to interact with on the screen. You can play with the objects in the character's room, for example. Though the idea is similar in The Princess and the Pea app, Who Stole the Moon achieves this more successfully. The objects do more than flip and move about; the lamp turns on and off, papers can be moved around, the globe spins etc. The actions are specific to the object and this becomes more fun and engaging. You can also drag objects across the screen; it gives you more choice than stationary objects.
- There are also four games: Catch The Dragonfly!, Coloring, Memory and Puzzles. These games also encourage learning, as does the story, which encourages children to explore reading.
Jack and the Beanstalk by Nosy Crow
- Nosy Crow is a company that is currently dominating ebooks.
- Age range: 4 – 8.
- Nosy Crow refers to this app as "where on-screen gaming and reading meet". This app definitely blurs the edges between a story and a game. The interaction level is very high. You can move objects, solve quick puzzles, interact with the game's environment and characters, move the character "Jack" through the story, and all while getting involved in the reading side.
- There is background music and sounds that help the child get more lost in the story.
- The various challenges and mini games will keep a child engaged for hours. They also teach problem solving.
- If you wake up the giant at different points in the narrative you create new endings, so your decisions are effecting the line of the story.
- Non-linear narrative. You can work your way through the castle in different ways every time.
- There is also a text-highlighting option to support emerging and early readers.
References:
http://www.tabtale.com/
http://www.windypress.com/whostolethemoon/
http://nosycrow.com/
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