Here’s a rare collection of seven short stories written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss in the 1950s for Redbook magazine. It is being released along with the hardcover book from Random House. Stories include The Bippolo Seed (the story of a mischievous, greedy cat who leads an innocent duck astray); The Bear, the Rabbit, and the Zinniga-Zanniga (the story of how a single eyelash saves a rabbit from an insecure bear), Gustav the Goldfish (a boy overfeeds his pet fish, causing it to outgrow its bowl), Tadd and Todd (about twins in search of their individuality), Steak for Supper (a Seussian creature follows a boy home hoping for a steak dinner), The Strange Shirt Spot (a boy can’t seem to get dirt off of his shirt and everything else around him) and The Great Henry McBride (the story of a day-dreaming boy who fantasizes about his career choices). Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Now you can think of your iPad or iPhone as a drawing/flannel board and story telling machine. The drawing is paired with a narration feature that makes it easy to do a “color commentary” on the picture you just made. The end result is a powerful language experience. After you finish your picture, you tap a microphone, and are told to “record your voice — 3-2-1-Go!” As a recording light flashes, you can describe your work. Note that this is a very different process than apps like Doodlecast, where you redraw your picture and talk in real time. With this app, an innovative highlighter is layered over your drawing, letting you highlight features as you talk. Once you have a picture and a highlighted soundtrack, your work is saved automatically in your photo library, making it possible to share by email. This works backwards as well… you can import images and sketch or talk over them, with a glow in the dark marker, if you like. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This 7-inch Android tablet is designed to be of use to both kids and adults. It comes from Singapore-based Karuma, and is wrapped in a thin silicone cover for protection against drops that doubles as a flimsy kick-stand for watching movies. It is powered by a 1.2 Ghz processor with 8 GB of onboard RAM. A micro SD card provides an additional route for expansion. Slightly thinner than the Nabi, this tablet has fewer ports (there is no HTMI out). The tablet is both synced and charged through a flat micro USB port. Apps can be downloaded from standard Android stores — two come pre-installed — Soc.io and Applibs, but we found it hard to find anything child appropriate other than a free version of a St. Patrick’s Day-themed version of Angry Birds, in Chinese. Other apps, like the free Pac Man app would run, but only in a phone-sized screen orientation. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This 7 inch Android powered tablet isn’t kidding around when it comes to such things as the ability to play Netflix movies, or apps like Cut the Rope. Nabi comes with a Kid Mode that gives parents what they’ve been asking for on an iPad — a parent-controlled, password-protected interface that locks a child inside a gated digital community. This means you can pick the apps, videos and sites you want your child to see, and because the app runs Flash, this can include sites like PBS kids. If you want to use the tablet to watch a movie or check your own email, you start “Mommy Mode” by entering your password. An essential part of the business model is the Nabi App Store, home to 500 pre-selected apps, games and other content, and there’s a direct pipeline to the Toysrus.com app. Fifteen apps come pre-installed, plus some ebooks and movie trailers which helps to make the out-of-the-box experience nicer. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Loud Crow Interactive and Peanuts Worldwide have partnered to produced a series of digital interactive books based on the cartoon specials. The first in the series, A Charlie Brown Christmas, features narration by Peter Robbins, the original voice of Charlie Brown, along with original scenes and dialog from the 1965 animated classic, and digitally remastered illustrations, animation, and music optimized for your smartphone or tablet. See also “My Charlie Brown Christmas Tree,” a free add on designed to give you a taste of this app; that lets you decorate your own tree. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-charlie-brown-christmas/id484320301?mt=8 Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This Kindle-sized Android powered tablet comes with a Kid Mode that gives parents what they’ve been asking for on an iPad — a parent-controlled, password-protected interface that locks a child inside a gated digital community. This means you can pick the apps, videos and sites you want your child to see, and because the app runs Flash, this can include sites like PBS kids. If you want to use the tablet to watch a movie or check your own email, you start “Mommy Mode” by entering your password. At this point Nabi is no different than any other Android tablet. Fifteen apps come pre-installed, plus some ebooks and movie trailers. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Puzzingo was inspired by classic wooden puzzles for kids. As children play with the puzzles, they learn what the different pieces are, as well as the different sounds they make. After they complete a puzzle, they are rewarded with minigames – including singing the ABC song, popping balloons, swatting flies, and more. In addition, once a puzzle is completed, children will unlock new puzzles to play. All the puzzles come together to build a circus ground. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This is the first of the Berenstain Bears to be adapted for multi-touch tablets by Oceanhouse Media. In the 33 screen story, it’s bedtime for Brother Bear and Sister Bear, but they have other plans such as playing with dinosaurs, having a tea party and getting a piggyback ride from Papa Bear. When Papa Bear announces that it’s bedtime, the bedtime battle begins. Features include Auto Play, which plays like a movie by automatically reading and turning pages; Read To Me, which allows children to listen to the narrated story with words highlighted as they are read; and Read It Myself, which lets children read the book in its traditional format. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
VINCI Tab is a custom-made tablet for young children (ages 1 to 4) that comes bundled with a set of custom-made apps. It is easy to hold, thanks to a set of distinctive red handles, and wireless Internet features have been de-activated. The device itself is custom-made, based roughly on the specs of a Samsung Galaxy Tab; powered by an A9 processor running Android. It was designed by Dan Yang, a fiber-optic entrepreneur/parent. Standard features include a 3 megapixel camera (to be used for documenting your child’s growth), volume control, lithium polymer batteries that promise “up to 9 hours” and charge when plugged into your Macintosh or Windows computer via USB port. As of the launch date (August 2011), VINCI’s software library is limited, consisting of two exploration games, three ebooks and about ten songs and videos. These include Baby HaHa’s Explorations in which a child can earn stickers by exploring in seven areas: a baby’s room, a music room, zoo, farm, park, kitchen and aquarium. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This ebook app is based on the children’s book of the same title (by Eric Drachman). In the story, Leo — the littlest lightning bug of all, can’t make his own light. The other lightning bugs tease him, but eventually Leo learns to light up the night. Features include professional narration, background audio, and enlarged artwork for each scene. There are three presentation modes available from the main menu — Read to Me, lets you listen to the narrated story with words highlighted as they are read; Read it Myself, lets you read the book in its traditional form; and Auto Play, which plays like a movie, automatically reading and turning pages. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Blue Hat, Green Hat is another interactive adaptation of a toddler board book, by author Sandra Boynton. Each page lets children combine colored hats, shirts, shorts or shoes on fun animal characters, using art directly from the book. There’s an “oops” button on several pages, that causes something to go wrong. For example, it might make a rain cloud fill up a page with water, or flip a character upside down. This successfully creates a hidden surprise on each page. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Shape Builder turns your iPod Touch or iPhone into a self-correcting set of 146 jigsaw puzzles.Now available in both English or Spanish and also for Android devices, the app makes it easy to drag-and-drop pieces into place to make common objects, like musical instruments, dishes, animals, and vehicles. Narration is provided by speech therapist Jill Dews. Content includes 30 Musical instruments with sound effects, 17 Fruits & Vegetables, 37 Animals with sounds, 26 Letters that are sounded out, 20 Numbers and others. Made by Darren Murtha and Chris Lott. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
As with other Oceanhouse Media titles, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! is based on an existing print Dr. Seuss book. But, for the first time in Oceanhouse history, this title offers a new interactive feature, allowing you to “build” each page. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.