Tag Archives: interactive book apps

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Spatter and Spark

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spatter & spark

Just released yesterday and FREE  – Spatter and Spark, a cute interactive book from Polk Street Press. Spatter (an artistic porcupine) and Spark (an inventive fox) team up to figure out how to get a look at Hubert, the baby crow, so that Spatter can paint Hubert’s picture. Kids are invited to help as Spatter & Spark problem solve their way through the story. There are 10 interactive scenes within the app. Each scene is beautifully illustrated by Luciana Navarro Powell, the illustrator of Goodnight Safari (another wonderful FREE app from the same developer  – see my August 28th review). The story, primarily for 4 – 6 year olds, is very cute with purposeful interactivity that adds to the story. Spatter and Spark could also be used with older students to encourage them to think and write about their own inventions. An activity pack (with 4 additional activities) is available as an in-app purchase. Very nicely done – recommended!!

Spatter & Spark - Polk Street Press LLC

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Even Monsters Get Sick

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This interactive story for the iPad is FREE again. It is a story written for kids 5+ about a boy and his pet monster. Kids can follow along or read on their own as Harry tries to discover what is wrong with his monster. The artwork is appealing and there are animations on every page. It is a nicely done story with a positive message told by Harry, the boy. Perfect 🙂

Recommended!

Even Monsters Get Sick - Busy Bee Studios

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Cinderella – Nosy Crow animated

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cinderella

Cinderella – Nosy Crow animated picture book is on sale in the U.S. iTunes store today for only $.99 – it normally sells for $5.99. I normally do not download and review anything but FREE apps but this one had so many accolades that I decided to treat myself  🙂  I was not disappointed – it is darling and loaded with fun interactivity for kids. Kids can help Cinderella clean the kitchen, help the king stack his invitations to the ball, dress the step-sisters for the party, build the magical carriage with the Fairy Godmother, choose dance music for Cinderella & the Prince, and more! There are even mirrors throughout the story where kids can see their own reflection! VERY cool example of what a digital book should be!
Cinderella – Nosy Crow animated picture book - Nosy Crow

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Pete and the Secret of Flying HD

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pete

FREE for a limited time – Pete and the Secret of Flying is an adorable interactive e-book for the iPad about a little bird named Pete who has a dream.The story takes place back in the time when birds went everywhere on foot. Pete dreams of playing in the clouds and decides that perhaps he should try his wings out. And so the story unfolds… The narration & text can be turned on or off. The graphics are great – simple drawings in blue and white with a bright yellow birds! Kids 2+ will love playing with Pete  – he interacts when he’s tapped. Really cute for little ones!

Pete and the secret of flying HD - Shape Minds and Moving Images GmbH

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Mibblio

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mibblio

Mibblio is an interactive musical/storybook app for kids. Children read the illustrated story-songs called “mibblets” as they listen to the catchy songs. They can also jam along on a variety of instruments. The app has a keyboard along the bottom of the screen with a choice of 8 different instruments. They can also use a tambourine or cowbell to tap along to the beat of the song. Some “mibblets” are based on well-known songs such as The Farmer in the Dell. Others are original compositions. The FREE download includes your choice of 1 “mibblet” with additional “mibblets” available as in-app purchases.

I chose I Like ’em Sunny Side Up which was adorable! Preview the app and all of the “mibblets” online @Mibblio – An interactive musical children’s book app for iPad.  What a SUPER cute app for kids!

Mibblio - Mibblio

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Shrinky Kid’s Boogie Box

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shrinky

Just released and FREE – Shrinky Kid’s Boogie Box by Mindshapes. This app features 4 stories about Shrinky and his magic shoebox – the first story  is unlocked and the other 3 are available as in-app purchases. Strictly Hoofer is a story about a horse who is sad because he has lost his dancing music. His friends cheer him up with the help of the Boogie Box. The Boogie Box is an interactive music making app with over 500 possible combinations of instruments! Kids can jam with the band to create their own music after reading the story. Teachers could use this story to as a springboard to creative writing. Have kids create shrinky-dinks of themselves and write their own adventure 🙂

Very cute, very creative, very fun – check it out: Mindshapes Ltd – YouTube

Shrinky Kid's Boogie Box - Mindshapes Limited

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AzawhistleKids

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everything has a home

FREE for a limited time, Everything Has a Home by Azawhistle Kids is the story of two friends who tackle the problem of a very messy room. Narrated by David Dayan Fisher, it is the story of Tejas who wants to clean up his room and surprise his mom. But… he is overwhelmed by the magnitude of the mess that “someone” has created. His best friend, Lollipop, helps him to organize his environment. Kids lend a hand as they place interactive objects in the correct place. Tejas and Lollipop use yoga & meditation as they inspire kids to tidy up.

AzawhistleKids - Leslie Hendry

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Art ABC

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art abc

FREE today, Art ABC for the iPhone/iPad. Like all alphabet books, this app teaches kids the names & sounds of each letter. What makes it unique is that it also incorporates famous works of art. Each letter of the alphabet is presented on a fine art background. There is also a hidden object (with the featured letter) in the background. Kids explore the page by tapping to reveal each object –  each in a different way! The app also contains a list of all the famous art included in the app – titles, artists, nationality, medium used, year, and location of the painting. This app could also be used with older students in art class. Nicely done!!

ART ABC - hwa pyung song

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Jack and the Beanstalk by Mindshapes

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FREE again – Jack and the Beanstalk, an app for the iPhone/iPad – this interactive read-along is a humorous, modern version of a classic tale. The app has 2 options: Read by Myself or Read to Me. The words are highlighted as they are read to help the emerging reader. The animations & illustrations are delightful with interactivity on every page. Teachers could use this app to compare and contrast this modern version to the classic version! This app is really cute and definitely worth downloading!!

The National Parenting Publication Awards: Honors winner in the Children’s Media/Virtual category

Jack and the Beanstalk by Mindshapes - Mindshapes Limited

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ABCmouse.com – Ham with Jam, Dan & Jan, Hen in the Pen, Big Pig & Little Pig, To Run is Fun, Big Bug & Little Bug

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FREE for a limited time – 6 beginning reading apps!! These apps for the iPhone/iPad are from the ABC Mouse word family beginning reader series. I chose to downloaded The Hen in the Pen to review the series. Each story emphasizes words from a particular word family. There are also easy sight words in the stories. There are several ways that the books can be read: Read to Me, Read with Pause, I Can Read It, and Hear the Words. I really like the Hear the Words option. It allows the child to read alone but tap any word that he/she gets stuck on. There are parent tips on the title page that explain word families and sight words for beginning readers. There are also parent tips throughout the books. The illustrations are colorful and support the text so that kids can use picture clues as they read. The story lines are very simple. But, that is not a negative thing because these apps are more about the process of reading than the actual story. When my son was an early reader, he loved books like these because he could read them “all by himself” and that alone makes them worth downloading 🙂 And…. they are currently FREE.

Common Core Standards met:

K.RF.3 – Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. c. Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does). d. Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the letters that differ.

Recommended!

ABCmouse.com Ham and Jam - Age of Learning, Inc. Ham with Jam    ABCmouse.com Dan and Jan - Age of Learning, Inc. Dan and Jan

ABCmouse.com The Hen in the Pen - Age of Learning, Inc. Hen in the Pen     ABCmouse.com Big Pig and Little Pig - Age of Learning, Inc. Big Pig & Little Pig

ABCmouse.com To Run is Fun - Age of Learning, Inc. To Run is Fun   ABCmouse.com Big Bug and Little Bug - Age of Learning, Inc. Big Bug and Little Bug