A total lunar eclipse will occur on April 15, 2014. It will be visible in North America, South America, and Australia. Partial eclipse begins at 1:58 am EDT. Total eclipse will begin 3:07 am and last for 77 minutes! Parts of Asia, Africa and Europe will see a partial eclipse.

In honor of this lunar event, here are some “moon apps” to share with your kids. 🙂

Goodnight Moon is the digital, interactive version of an all-time favorite story. Written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd in 1947, Goodnight Moon has sold over 4 million copies and has become one of the most beloved bedtime books of all time. Kids help little bunny say goodnight to all the lovely things in the great green room. This educational app features animations and hidden interactions for kids to discover. The cost is $4.99.

Hello to the Moon is FREE for a limited time. This gentle bedtime story shares how the moon can make us feel connected to others. Each page has a small animation – a twinkling star, a blinking eye, etc. for kids to discover. Another cute bedtime story!

FREE for the iPhone/iPad, Moon Secrets is a sweet, beautifully illustrated story about the moon told through the eyes of a child. All pages include animations that become interactive when tapped. The story can be enjoyed in three modes: autoplay, read to me, and read by myself. There are also three games at the end of the story – coloring, find the difference, and find hidden objects. This app does include a pop-up ad for PlayTales Gold Bookstore in the middle of the story. You can remove it for $.99. Another cute story for bedtime.

This Lite FREE version of the app is really only a preview of this interactive story – specifically the first 6 pages. Who Stole the Moon? is the story of Bertie Brown who loves looking through his bedroom skylight to see the moon. He gets worried one night when he doesn’t see the moon and thinks that someone has stolen it. The full version continues the story from this point on. It also includes games and songs. The preview is beautifully done – great artwork, nice music. It seems like it would make a nice bedtime story – the cost is $4.99.

Download FREE version: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/who-stole-moon-free-version/id482612887?mt=8&uo=4

Download full version: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/who-stole-moon-interactive/id499296025?mt=8&uo=4

 La Luna is an educational app based on Pixar’s Oscar-nominated short film. This app was selected as “Innovative Kids App” in the U.S. for the App Store’s Best of 2013! It includes the full theatrical release of the short film.

La Luna is a beautifully told fable of a young boy coming to age. It features the original artwork of Enrico Casarosa, the film’s director. The app includes 3 ways to enjoy the interactive story – as a short film, an interactive video, or a storybook. Also included is a fascinating “Behind the Scenes” section which explores the process of creation from storyboard to screen. Kids will learn about storyboards, turntables, sound design, visual design, and progression reel. They will love getting a glimpse of the process that Pixar uses to create its movies. And, the story is absolutely magical!

Highly recommended – do not miss this extraordinary app!! The cost is $1.99.

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/la-luna-the-story-project/id657554982?mt=8&uo=4