While it might be a little jarring to hear Five Little Monkeys 
Jumping on the Bed presented as a story rather than a song, Oceanhouse Media (and author/illustrator Eileen Christelow) pull it off. Children will love seeing the song presented with quality artwork and the pages pan and zoom to help bring the story to life. The app also is a good learning tool, offering a variety of ways for users to experience it and utilizing picture/word association to help teach children (words zoom and are spoken when an item is touched onscreen). The story’s simplistic, and older kids might get bored quickly, but young children will be captivated.
Tag Archives: children’s books
App review: Nash Smasher!
Nash Smasher! is a fun, funny story that’s also 
surprisingly effective as a lesson in social skills for youngsters. The book is written by Bill Doyle of television’s Sesame Workshop, who has some experience communicating lessons to young children in an entertaining fashion — and knows how to keep adults interested simultaneously. In this case, that’s done via the story’s interactive elements, which are full of surprises and really make the book app something that’s fun for families.
Read more at Common Sense Media
App review: Pecos Bill
The tall tales of Pecos Bill are entertaining 
enough without augmentation, but when you blend in Robin Williams’ enthusiastic telling of the story (with his inevitable bits of improv), good looking artwork, and the ability to customize the experience, it’s a perfect storm — and makes for one of the better video adaptations of a classic book in the app store. The Pecos Bill app can be enjoyed by both kids and parents, offering a good blend of education and entertainment. The price is, admittedly, higher than most, but this app comes with a fully animated movie rendition of the story, which is magical enough app that you won’t regret spending the money.
Read more at Common Sense Media
App review: The Velveteen Rabbit
The Velveteen Rabbit is a timeless story of the 
power of love, and this app does a wonderful job showcasing that to young readers and viewers. The artwork is soft and fits the story wonderfully, and Meryl Streep does a good job narrating the story. The app is priced a bit high, especially considering the lack of any real interactivity, but the classic story has the potential to engage and captivate children.
Read more at Common Sense Media
App review: Josh & Emma Go to the Beach
Josh & Emma Go to the Beach means well, but when
judged on its educational aspects, it falls a bit short. There are plenty of less expensive (and free) apps that teach just as much or more. The graphics that accompany the story are nice, but children aren’t likely to be engaged more than one or two times. At a lower price, Josh & Emma might be worth a look, but if you’re searching for an app that will keep your children’s attention and teach them something more than the most rudimentary skills, you can do better.
Chris Morris: Journalist 