Children's Technology Review | News and reviews on children's interactive media

Trip, The – Little Critter Reading Adventure

Posted by Lisa on May 17, 2013 | 0 Comment

Review Excerpt: In this Mercer Meyer story, you start with a choice of the classic “just read” and “reading adventure” modes. The story is a good one … a family of four decides to take a summer car trip to Lake Wakatookee. Along the way, they meet a horse in the road, get stuck in a traffic jam, stop at the beach, get the car fixed ... Read more »

Slice of Bread goes to the Beach

Posted by Lisa on May 17, 2013 | 0 Comment

Review Excerpt: This 15 screen/page ebook tells the story of what happens when a slice of bread visits the beach. The animated effects support the story, which is written, narrated and illustrated by Australian Glenn Melenhorst, the author of Food Fight.Features include animated page turns, touch and hear text highlighting and a “read to me” mode, ... Read more »

Ruff’s Bone

Posted by Lisa on May 17, 2013 | 0 Comment

Review Excerpt: This is an updated iPad edition of the classic Living Book. If you’re in your early 20s, you might recall the CD-ROM edition of the story. Ruff loves his “Sunday bone” but he can’t find it. Each of the 12 screens contains an exotic location. This includes a trip into a dark sky and a hunt on the moon to find it. His determined ... Read more »

Matching Puzzle Cards: Colors

Posted by Lisa on May 17, 2013 | 0 Comment

Review Excerpt: This app turns the pedagogy of the flash card inside out, by making each card into an animated two piece jigsaw puzzle that you can snap together the parts. For example, you are asked to match the pink socks with the pink shoes; you then touch the shoes and they’ll do a dance for you. Color words are reinforced through verbal cues and ... Read more »

Little Oriole

Posted by Lisa on May 17, 2013 | 0 Comment

Review Excerpt: Little Oriole features woodcut art and background music that can be toggled on or off. The 38 screen story is built around the questions “Who are you?” and “Where are you from?” and it features the journey of a little bird. The art is based on the artistic style called Watermark Woodcut, and scenes are inspired from a plum forest and the ... Read more »

iPoe Collection 1

Posted by Lisa on May 16, 2013 | 0 Comment

Review Excerpt: Designed in Spain but available in English (or Spanish or French), this is a digital retelling of four of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous stories: The Oval Portrait, The Tell-Tale Heart, Annabel Lee and The Masque of the Red Death. This is a typical page flipper, with no narration, and the ability to toggle between three languages (English, ... Read more »

I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! and Other Stories

Posted by Lisa on May 16, 2013 | 0 Comment

Review Excerpt: This is a collection of classic Dr. Suess stories that are hard to find in your traditional library. The headliner — “I Can Lick 30 Tigers” is the first of three featuring Cat in the Hat, as he explores big themes like humility, equality and teamwork. In this story, a boastful young Cat In The Hat learns the perils of bragging, ... Read more »

Dr. Seuss’s Short Story Collection

Posted by Lisa on May 16, 2013 | 0 Comment

Review Excerpt: This is an eight-pack of generally lesser-known Dr. Seuss titles, all in one $8 app. They include The Big Brag, Gertrude McFuzz, I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today!, King Looie Katz, The Glunk that got Thunk, Too Many Daves, The Zax and What Was I Scared Of? Each contains the standard touch and hear Oceanhouse Media labeling along with narration and good ... Read more »

Disney Princess Cinderella

Posted by Lisa on May 16, 2013 | 0 Comment

Review Excerpt: This is a solid retelling of Disney’s Cinderella, with three modes, (read it myself, read to me, and record my voice). Content includes a sing-a-long to the classic song “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo” plus six jigsaw puzzles, each with three levels. There are also six coloring activities. In the story, Cinderella shares her dreams of romance and ... Read more »

Wince Don’t Feed the WorryBug

Posted by Lisa on April 22, 2013 | 0 Comment

Review Excerpt: Based on the book, Don’t Feed The WorryBug by Andi Green, this app tells the story of a little monster named Wince who worries so much The WorryBug appears. Children can join Wince on his journey of self awareness. Content includes five pages in the free trial version; 20 in the full version; each with background music that loops and can’t ... Read more »