FREE today – Suzy’s Zoo Storybook Collection: Witzy’s Friends Forever is the first in a series of e-books featuring the Suzy’s Zoo characters created by award-winning artist, Suzy Spafford. Witzy the duck is searching for a wishing puff so he can make a wish to be friends forever with his buddies – Boof, Patches, & Lulla.  Beautifully illustrated, this sweet story can be enjoyed in 3 modes: autoplay, read to me, or read to myself. Children will enjoy the animations on each page and looking for Tickles, the ladybug. After reading there are 3 activities: coloring, a matching game, & a puzzle. Download it for your iPhone/iPad today – it’s a sweet one!

FREE for a limited time – The Chicken & the Egg is an interactive e-book written by Allan Plenderleith for the iPhone/iPad. It is the story of Flo, a little chicken, who just cannot lay an egg. One rainy night something happens… An object rolls down a hill and lands next to Flo who thinks it’s her egg. She loves her egg & takes very good care of it. Then one night a “dark thing” appears… Even though all ends well, read this one first before you share it with preschoolers. You know if your child is sensitive to stories with “scary” parts.

Teachers – this story is perfect for teaching prediction. I would stop the story when Flo wakes up next to “her egg” and have students predict what will happen next. Is it actually an egg? If so what will hatch out? There are lots of possibilities for creative writing with this story. Then read the rest of the story to see how the author finishes it. The story is cutely illustrated with delightful narration. Its interactivity adds to the story rather than distracting the reader from the story. Definitely worth downloading 🙂

FREE today – from the developers of Nighty Night, a special winter edition of this bedtime story. If you already have Nighty Night, this app is the same except for the winter setting and the singing snowman.

This interactive bedtime app for kids 1 – 4 years old is by the same developer that produced Little Fox Music Box (see review June 28). Like the Little Fox app, the artwork is beautifully done by Heidi Wittlinger, an Oscar nominated artist. Kids help put animals to bed by clicking off the lights and telling them goodnight. The story can easily be changed to 7 different languages (without going into the general settings of your iPad or iPhone). This app is really lovely and it has been successful internationally (according to iTunes Preview). Adorable, must-have for toddlers!

Available as in-app purchases: two additional sets of animals (3 in each) for $.99 a set and a Jingle Bells video featuring all of the animals for $.99.

FREE for a limited time for the iPhone/iPad – I Think I Can, Magic Ink Books rendition of the classic tale. The setting is Christmas Eve and a train is delivering holiday treats to kids on the other side of the mountain. A little switcher engine helps save the day! Kids can choose Read to Me (male or female narrator) or Read it Myself. Throughout the story kids use “magic ink” on the pages to reveal beautiful colored illustrations. Verses to a train song and secret animations are also found within the story. There is also an option to email the train song to friend but I found this option to be distracting to the flow of the story. A nice story for the holidays – enjoy it (and 5 other Magic Ink Books) while they are FREE  🙂

The 5 additional Magic Ink books that are also being offered for FREE right now – check them out!

A Frog Prince – Magic Ink Books     

Tinker Bell & Friends  – Magic Ink Books     

The Little Mermaid’s Surprise – Magic Ink Book     

Magic Ink  – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz     

Cinderella – Magic Ink Books     

The Tooth is on the Loose is an e-book for the iPhone/iPad. It is currently $1.99 but I was able to download it on a FREE day. The setting is the old West and a shifty, wiggly, little varmint named T.B. Wiggly is on the loose. Kids will be delighted by this legend, narrated by Sheriff Tex. The language is rich and fitting to the genre of the story. The story is illustrated in a cartoon-like style with animations, sound effects, and hidden activities throughout the tale. Coloring pages are also included. A really fun story for kids who are ready to lose a tooth!

Keep following my blog to find out when apps become FREE.