Category: Stories »

The Legend of Momotaro is a beautifully crafted storybook application for iPad that will be enjoyed by the entire family.

Based on the traditional Japanese legend of the same name, this is the tale of an older, childless couple who is blessed with a son found inside a peach that had once been floating in the river that the woman was washing clothing it. The boy grew and, together with help from others, defeats ogres on a distant island.

The artwork seen in this app as one scrolls to the right is of the highest quality possible and includes stunning details of landscapes because the look of traditional Japanese artwork is incorporated within.

One has the ability to read the included text or listen to narration, but the function is slightly different from typical apps as a flower petal needs to be tapped next to the text found on the page to trigger narration.

I have few notes about this app, but I do find the font of the text used to be a little small. This is not really a huge issue as I think that this is a story best listened to, allowing one to gaze at the stellar artwork which slowly changes as if by magic as it includes mild yet utterly effective animated moments which gently pantomime the story being told.

Other slight details include the leaves of trees moving slightly in the wind or other faint elements that, combined with the relaxing included ambient sounds, create even more richness to this exquisite app.

Even though this app includes art that to me, is reminiscent of the art of Utagawa Hiroshige, I also smile at the use of subtle dimension in the distance of these landscapes as the moving of the iPad slightly will change the vantage point of the reader, adding a nice depth that I admire combined with the traditionally styled art.

I honestly tire sometimes of other Hollywood children's animated features where the hero meets pleasant animal companions and they all go off to some great adventure. Here, Momotaro also meet animals along the way, but in a manner that maintains the integrity of an ancient tale, as there can be internal tension within this group that all can relate to.

It is not uncommon to be able to tap an object on the screen to see it labeled in some way in many storybook applications. This is also true within The Legend of Momotaro, but there is an elegance to how more information is offered.

Here, after tapping most objects, a flower will appear. Tap again or enlarge with fingers and a window will open up which will offer more information about the item in Japanese, including the word in English such as “cherry tree” and its English transliteration. It also includes both Sakura and Kanji characters that represent this word as well as how it is relevant either culturally or within the story.

I am always a fan of some sort of a guide to the interactive elements an app may possess. Because of this, I am also happy that one can tap the corresponding Kanji characters at the bottom of the screen which can be tapped to see a twinkle of a star somewhere on the page to highlight the related hotspot. Also note that one can shake the iPad as well to see all the hotspots highlighted at once - also a nice touch.

The narration works well within this app. Although presumably not a native speaker and talking with an accent to an American ear, the woman telling the story is not difficult to understand and exactly who I would expect to tell such a traditional tale.

I can’t say enough about this application, as I admire the great amount of work that has been put into this app. The story is both relaxing as well as suspenseful and full of action, making it a great bedtime story for kids of all ages, as the sophistication allows for older children and adults to enjoy this app as much as preschoolers.

Thanks to this application, children who otherwise may not have been exposed to this Japanese legend now have the chance to know about the character of Momotaro as well as Japanese language and culture.

Paddington Bear is the digital adaptation of the celebrated children’s classic A Bear Called Paddington.

This app is a very nice introduction to Paddington, complete with wonderful narration and lovely modern drawings to represent this story - an abridged version of the original presumably due to time constraints, yet still containing much of the slapstick humor found in the original story.

It is worth noting that this application includes with what was the first two chapters of the book, where Paddington Bear meets his new British family and goes home with them, flooding their house from his first time using the bathtub and then falling a sleep in a chair, exhausted, leaving out the other adventures from this chapter of the book.

Interactions are included and highlighted with a subtle twinkle as well as gentle musical sounds heard when one touches the page and contain simple pantomime of the story being told. Early on, however, other hot spots are included at the train station to show the hustle and bustle, originally included in the story with written details not included in this version - interactions that I honestly found to be distracting, although they demonstrate the energy of a busy train station nicely and only last a brief time.

I do appreciate the ability to view the text of this story or not, with the ability to pull out windows that include the story written, as well as being able to simply listen to this tale without reading as well.

I also wonder if this bear coming from “Darkest Peru” will not raise an eyebrow with some parents as being culturally insensitive, but probably not as issue for most families.

This new, shorter version of Paddington Bear may not stand up well to the memories of these stories to a true purist, but casual fans and children new to Paddington will enjoy meeting this bear and the humor found within this app.

I do hope more Paddington Bear adventures are included in future digital adaptations as this application does contain a lot of polish and also includes a section allowing one to take photos with Paddington and a short biography of the author. There are more stories to tell about this bear and by application would be a nice way of bringing Paddington to life.

Living Stories: The Lost Heart is a new storybook by Ravensburger Digital. I really appreciate many of the elements used within this application as the story, about a girl who finds a robot who is missing a heart is quite well written and also includes music, narration and illustrations that combined make for a lyrical experience.

Borrowing from classics such as The Wonderful Wizard of OZ and possibly Alice in Wonderland, the narrative of this story with its pacing and the various unexpected characters one meets on their adventure is very impressive. Although going on a quest to find one’s heart is not exactly a new concept, I am won over by how this story unfolds.

This app contains interactions that sometimes add to the magical experience in subtle ways that I really appreciate a great deal, such as the interactive depiction of how this robot lost his heart and why he needs a new one, complete with simple yet captivating music which is also used as the score for this app in general and creates quite a moment within this story.

I also really enjoy the moment when the duo finds a tunnel that may lead to wondrous lands, guiding them finally to a place where all the things are different as well as the tapping of gears shining brightly like stars in trees and the other poetic hotspot sound within another beautifully moody moment of this application.

The illustrations included are lush and colorful with images that fade from sepia-toned into full color for a nice effect, as do the mild animated details such as the rain effects found in many of these pages.

What I was not fond of, however, is that also included are some more generic interactions such as the ability to knock down a tower of blocks or open a wardrobe allowing a toy to roll out across the page in a bedroom scene, the ability to flush the toilet, run the sink or bathtub in a scene taking place in the bathroom or the inclusion of a malfunctioning blender or popping toast from the toaster in a scene in the kitchen.

I find that these interactions can distract from what is wonderful about this story - a tale that I would enjoy without any interactions at all. Although it may seem counter-intuitive to some if only the meaningful interactions were included, devoid of anything standard and distracting, this book would be an even richer experience.

Even with these notes, I am a huge fan of the ability to tap a question mark to see where all the hot spots are hidden within each page - an inclusion that should be a part of every storybook.

Also included is a jigsaw puzzle on each page of this storybook, found with a tap within a pull-down window of this app. Personally, I did not use this function much so as not to be taken out of the story, but these puzzles are of a high quality, with pieces that snap together in a way quite satisfying when the correct parts come close to the correct areas of these puzzles.

Even with the included notes, I really have enjoyed the time I spent with this storybook and its included mythology. I do look forward to more Living Tales by Ravensburger. I would love to seem more editing in terms of including only the important, sometimes poignant, interactions to achieve the most meaningful experience possible.

My Beastly ABC’s is a great new app for iPad that will be of interest to children of various ages.

An ABC app, My Beastly ABC’s tells the story about a boy who one day meets different beasts or monsters from A to Z.

Parents can attest to how many ABC apps are available through iTunes, and because a good deal of time will be spent learning letters, it behooves parents to find alphabet apps that will entertain themselves as well.

I really appreciate not only the colorful look of this app, complete with wonderful illustrations and mild animated moments containing both a vintage sense of style as well as a modern look and feel, but also the pitch-perfect use of suspenseful, jazzy music and perfectly realized narration by celebrated voice-over artist Jim Dale as well.

The choices of monsters used are also terrific, and I appreciate a great deal the global aspect of this app, as creatures from all cultures from the chupacabra to Quetzalcoatl are chosen to be represented.

The illustrations that accompany these creatures are cute and not scary from my point of view, but parents should decide for themselves if their toddlers will enjoy hearing about such characters as a two-headed Ettin that would not have fazed me as a young child but may put off others.

This app can certainly be used to teach the alphabet by the right family, but I also enjoy how older children will also enjoy these fantastical creatures as well.

The selection of monsters, also included in a monster index, is quite vast, and even the most seasoned monster lover may need to research a creature or two to read more about their mythology, allowing parents to use this app as a springboard for future reading.

Interactions are included which are often subtly highlighted when they propel the action of this story forward, but also be aware that other hot spots are available of a more generic nature that may distract a little from this story. Luckily this is only a minor note within a terrific application.

Trains is an adaptation of the book of the same name, one in a series of books by Byron Barton now developed into applications by Oceanhouse Media.

My son has consistently enjoyed these apps which focus on vehicles and include very engaging narration which is highlighted when spoken, also allowing readers the ability to tap objects around the page to trigger the labeling of these items - both spoken as well with text.

Young children who love trains will especially enjoy this bright and colorful early non-fiction storybook that notes many aspects of trains in a way that is conversational yet educational as well - elements my son especially enjoys.

I also appreciate how one can drag the trains, cars and people around this app - details not possible in the original published book.

My son, almost five, found this app himself on my phone and took to it quickly.

Although this short, sweet book may be geared to a younger child, the ability to read along with highlighted narration as well as being able to read this book by himself while tapping words to hear them spoken will prove to be very helpful for my son and other early readers.

It is easy for me to recommend Trains as well as the other apps by Byron Barton and Oceanhouse Media in this series of apps. I hope to see other Byron Barton books developed into applications as well.

Martha Speaks Word Spinner is a delightful interactive digital board game for iPad based on the hit PBS show and previously published storybook, Martha Speaks, about a talking dog - an educational show which teaches synonyms and new vocabulary to children.

We really enjoy the show Martha Speaks in our house. It is bright, colorful and engaging as it thoughtfully and conversationally including new words in a way that sticks with my son without feeling heavy or chore-like.

Because of this, I was excited to review Martha Speaks as well, and I can say that this game is really delightful for players - children as well as adults.

I appreciate that one to four players can use this app, making it a family game or an app my son can enjoy on his own.

This game opens up to a game board complete with a path consisting of spaces one must travel to move the chosen dog to the dog house. Spin the spinner and complete the mini-game, also moving a given number of spaces.

The included activities are fun and intuitive, teaching about synonyms in a way that is cute and conversational.

Some words are included that are also narrated, but oftentimes one is sorting or matching illustrations of given words to allow new and non-readers to grow their vocabulary without needing to be literate.

It is also great that the questions and themes are random so although the games may stay the same in terms of play, these experiences are never the same, allowing children to collect different “word bones” that represent each word studied during this game.

I think this app will be enjoyed in homes as well as with speech therapists as one of these mini-games, Name Five Things, asks players to name five words in a given category after popping numbered balloons - an exercise that would also benefit children learning English as a second language.

Other mini-games include Story Sounds which asks children to tap on buttons that will give sound effects to a given story theme, giving children a chance to add creative details based on these sound effects.

These sections may be hit or miss with some children playing with this app alone, as they are on their honor to say these five words themselves or add details to a story. I do think, however, that children such as my very talkative, social son would happily fulfill these activities even by themselves.

There are other sections of this app that single children, as well as groups of players will also enjoy.

Word Connector asks children to match different halves of simple puzzles matching related words shown in picture form, such as science equipment consisting of a microscope with test tubes or a hat and shoes to represent "clothes".

Stuff Sort asks children to sort illustrated cards into a box that includes a specific theme as well such as “cooking tools.”

Bucket Ball has a slight arcade element as one uses a slingshot to fling balls into buckets of a given theme, such as “groceries.” Although a bit of skill is helpful in this game, the flinging is forgiving and simple to use.

Who am I is another area that is a very good mini-game for multiple players as a drawing of a specific occupation is shown that a player must act out like charades, making this a difficult task to complete with one player.

This may be why I never landed on this question when playing alone, but I would love to see it removed from the spinner altogether for single players as I thought I was missing something by not having access to this activity when using this app as an individual.

It would also like to see an an option to allow adults to turn the timer included within these mini-games so as not to rush children during these activities, especially when they have to list five of a kind - be it species or birds or types of precipitation - topics children may need help with or just a little extra time to think about their answers.

I really do enjoy how Martha explains each new word theme for children to grasp various concepts, but it would be nice to have a button to skip over the game rules if one would like, as these explanations, especially when playing with four people, can take up a fair amount of time.

Even with the notes given, there is a lot to have fun with while playing Martha Speaks Word Spinner. I have had problems with this app closing abruptly on my iPad 1 after finishing the game, an issue that I hope can be smoothed out in the future because after the game is over, the "word bones" the player has collected during this app are listed and can be tapped to be heard - a valuable inclusion that worked well on my iPad 2.

Hansel & Gretel: Lost is a well crafted re-telling of this classic story for iPad, wonderfully illustrated with animations as well as including top-notch narration, music and sound effects. Auto-play is also an option as well as silencing the narration to read this book by oneself.

It is easy to tell from the first page that this app is something special. The illustrations are lush with color and beautiful to look at with a marbled textured style that I always find appealing. Every element in this book is at a superlative level of quality that adults will greatly appreciate, as will their children.

The interactions are thoughtful and propel the story forward, and the narration is great as are the voice talents that can be heard with taps of these characters.

Excellent music is also included for each scene that conveys mood - be it happiness or suspense, adding even more richness to this experience.

There are some really creative elements here as well, from being able to remove the candy from the witch's house to eat, to being able to pull the lever down on a machine to force-feed Hansel - a moment that is great fun and thoroughly modern without being over-the-top for children. This app hits all the right notes, bridging the gap between modern and classic as well as looking hand-crafted while being an interactive application.

I love the new details just as much, such as Gretel dipping the witch’s glasses in butter to make the witch unable to see - a moment that works so well it could have been an element from a Grimm’s fairytale.

What I really appreciate the most about this tale is that it completely bypasses the concept of the evil stepmother, as these kids simply stumble upon the witch’s house while playing in the woods and getting lost.

There are also no jewels to steal - another part of this story that has always bothered me, as here, Gretel simply finds a map and uses it to make their way home to loving parents who make them promise never to go off into the forest again. Do tap on this map in order for it to become an interactive maze activity as well - a nice touch.

There are just so many fun details in this app such as the little forest monsters who eat the bread crumbs dropped by the kids that children and their adults will simply adore this modern take.

Although parents and children may be familiar with this story in general, there is much new here that the tale still excites, while maintaining the general tone people expect and love from this classic such as the witch's hinger for children, locking Hansel in a cage - details my son has always loved from a young age.

I can’t recommend this app enough for parents who are looking for an interactive storybook for their children, especially as Gretel is a strong female role model, taking an even more active role in saving her brother than in the original version.

This is the first app from PB&J Publishing, but I hope they create more storybook apps in the future as every element in this app is perfectly realized in every way. I can’t wait to see what these developers come up with next.

The Chalk Box Story is an interactive app by Auryn based on the lesser known story by Don Freeman, best known for writing the Corduroy series of picture books.

My son loves the Corduroy books, as did I as a child, but I was unaware of how prodigious a writer Auryn was until he began developing his works into storybook applications.

The Chalk Box Story is another such title, adapted nicely from the original 1976 version.

Although the text remains the same, the story of cooperation and imagination is told as crayons work together to draw a picture which takes shape among the pages of this book.

Here, the reader focuses on a single screen consisting of the paper that one draws on, as the box of crayons is seen at the corner of the blank drawing area instead of being part of a two page spread as it is found in the book.

A window opens on this page that delivers the text, also including highlighted narration if the reader chooses it.

The narration can be forwarded with a tap as can the interactive elements of children choosing a crayon with a prompt, then coloring in the elements of the picture being drawn.

I like the level of interactivity here. A child opens the box of crayons, selects the crayon the story asks for and then colors in details of this image without the concern of coloring outside the lines, making children who can only scribble still successful at assisting in this drawing.

I did find it a little problematic with the first crayon one draws with, as although readers are asked to draw the sky and ocean as the entire background is to be filled, there is less of an outline for one to stay in the confines of, making this first section almost seem like a free-play drawing app. The intent of this story becomes clearer as the picture develops, however, and I enjoy how the text is an excellent prompt to children into the story and these interactions. It is also possible to go back and fix any drawings at a later time if children wish - a nice touch.

I do enjoy this creative interaction, but it is interesting how the interactions of children dragging each crayon to the page to color do change the story as originally the crayons come alive and become anthropomorphized instead of a child creating these images. Because of this, I wonder if the magic is changed to have the children participate in the way that they do.

Also of note is how the final drawing comes alive with animation in a way that works wonderfully in the story, really popping off the page. Of course, in the book, these images do not move. Instead, children use their own imagination to see these changes take place.

When adapting a book into an application, the experience of the printed book and the app is often different, and I do not consider these differences to be flaws.

Although my own mind is not used to imagine the end of this story, I do enjoy watching it unfold, listening to the ambient sound effects as well and allowing my mind to relate moments of other stories similar to it. This did not happen for me when reading this book to myself.

It is also worth noting that there is a bonus feature allowing children to interact with bonus animal objects, adding them to the drawing to see additional moments of animation which all work well within the story while maintaining the subtle 1970’s look that I found charming.

I was lucky enough to find a copy of The Chalk Box Story from my local library, but because it is out of print, many children will never come across a copy of this book. Because of this, I am happy that this app as well as the other Don Freeman apps exist for children to appreciate. The narration in these apps is uniformly excellent - always a nice inclusion for young pre-readers.

I am pleased to announce that book publisher Tangled Press has donated 1,600 copies of the popular printed book, The Kissing Hand, to the children of Newtown, Connecticut as families begin to heal after the tragedy they faced.

In support of this generous donation, Oceanhouse Media has made the app of the same name free for a limited time.

The Kissing Hand is a beautiful adaptation of the original book about familial love and separation anxiety as young raccoon Chester fears going to school for the first time and is then given what he needs from his mother to feel secure going into the world on his own.

The illustrations - hand-crafted on textured paper - look wonderful on the back-lit screen on iPad and iPhone. Zooming and panning is also included to draw the reader's attention or to create movement - always a nice touch - as is the highlighted text if listening to narration as well as the option to auto play as if watching this book unfold like a movie.

Listen to the sounds of nature, as well as tap the characters and objects found to see the labels with both text and narration - details that can also now be turned off as well.

Another new feature from Oceanhouse Media is the chance not only to record this book by oneself but to be able to send the new narration to other families who also have this app so they can share in one’s personal recording.

The Kissing Hand, a New York Times best seller has already been enjoyed by many families, and for a period of time, children from all over can download this app for free. Please do so without delay.

A Very Mice Christmas is a simple and sweet Christmas app with an interesting sense of style using collage-like illustrations that contain photographic elements to create charming images that children will enjoy. Listen to narration or read this book out loud. Auto tune is also an option. This app is available for both iPad as well as iPhone.

Written in rhyme, enjoy mice as they go Christmas shopping for items such as stockings, a tree, ribbon, or ornaments. It also has a cute ending where all the mouse shop keepers get invited in to share Christmas as well in this cute holiday app.

In my son’s preschool class, they have a family of pet mice that my son enjoys watching. This app is fun for those like my son who enjoy small animals such as mice as here, they are dressed up in little clothing and shop or enjoy warm drinks like little people, reminiscent to me of Beatrice Potter mice using the multi-media style of images instead of drawings that show these creatures darlingly anthropomorphized. Do tap on these mice as well to hear them speak in squeaky, mouse-like voices.

Originally printed as a “Touch and Feel’ book by Wendy Wax, the ability to feel the different textures is hard to replicate, but I enjoy the details throughout this book that hint at a tactile experience.

The best part about this book is that children, with the help of their parents, can create a completely new story based on these images as one can personalize the text and narration with the use of a record feature - a very nice touch that works well here as these collage-like images are quite imaginative, possibly bringing out the creative side of children who can now make their own storybook using these pages as a template of sorts.

A memory game is also included where one turns over tiles in order to look for pairs, also including a hint button that when tapped will narrow choices down by highlighting tiles that may be a match - a nice touch, but I did not like that a timer is also included as I am not a fan of making young children feel rushed.

Also included is a series of three hidden object activities with a nice if not slightly challenging level of difficulty as well as an included hints button that narrows down where to look for the items hidden within.

All and all, a nice holiday app for children, especially those who may enjoy making up their own stories about what they see in these delightful, mousy illustrations.

Peter, Paul and Mary’s "The Night Before Christmas" is a lovely universal re-telling of the classic Clement C. Moore tale of the same name, lovingly narrated by Mary Travers in her last performance before passing.

Music and harmonizing from the group can be heard both during Mary’s narration as well as if one reads and records this app oneself. The music and sounds can also be muted individually, a nice touch, as is the choice of auto play during the included narration, allowing the youngest of children to sit back and relax without having to turn pages.

Another aspect that I appreciate is the tab found on the side of this app that can be pulled out to read the text along with the narration - a very nice way of including the words of this story as an option for children without taking away from the perfect artwork.

Illustrated by celebrated French artist Eric Puybaret, the included paintings are beautiful to look at, rich with deep, vibrant colors that make this app really quite special. Subtle yet effective interactions are included that add richness without being too distracting and are thoughtfully highlighted to be found easily - a nice touch.

Peter, Paul and Mary’s "The Night Before Christmas" will be enjoyed by children as well as adults alike. The music, as one can imagine, is of the highest quality, as are the narration and included paintings. For any family looking for an adaptation of this classic story for iPad or iPhone, this is a very good choice.

The Night Before Christmas presented by One Hundred Robots is a personal favorite retelling of the classic holiday story of the same name.

If one were to check iTunes, one could find multiple apps adapting this traditional Christmas story, and this app is a top choice of mine for a few reasons.

Although I am not always a fan of computer generated animation, especially when it boasts a 3D effect.

I do, however, love the bright, colorful and wonderfully stylized look of this computer-generated app, with interesting photographic elements and textures along with a 3D look for a very interesting visual experience. There is a wonderful use of perspective, and the placement of that would be the camera if one were shooting live action as well, as quick camera movements highlights the benefits of working with computer graphics.

The narration is clear and well-spoken, making it easy to appreciate the decision not to include any interactions, even sounds or music that could distract from the reading of the original story. Because of this, the characters seem to pantomime the actions one hears about during this story for a magical effect.

This is definitely an adaptation worth looking at. The animations are top-notch in every way with details I really enjoy for a truly rich experience. It is also refreshing to see The Night Before Christmas in app form that allows children to simply sit back and enjoy this story, making it the perfect bedtime read.

It would be hard to go wrong with this title. I recommend families looking for a version of this beloved story to check out this one by One Hundred Robots as well as also to take a look at their other apps as well. Always high in quality, but with a nice variety in terms of style, these apps are worth getting to know, to be sure.

Pango Christmas Book 5 is a charming universal application about Pango, a raccoon and his friends as they experience new adventures - here revolving around Christmas activities.

Without narration, Pango Christmas Book 5 makes a great storybook to read to one’s children as the included text prompts children to explore this application in many ways interactive, as each page highlights a new motion word which the included interaction revolves around such as moving shoes or hanging balls under the Christmas tree or opening presents.

The style of narration to me is reminiscent of one of our favorite shows, Pocoyo, where an unseen narrator relates to both the audience as well as Pocyo and the other characters in this popular children’s TV show. This app engages the child listening to this story, asking them to participate as children are guided through these activities.

The look of Pango Christmas Book 5 is quite different from Pocoyo, as this app includes simple, stylized, hand-drawn qualities devoid of computer graphics in this colorful children’s app.

Children will also enjoy the five different scenes included in this app, each nicely separated by easily accessible tabs that children will enjoy tapping.

I understand the intent of having adults reading to children and the Pango series, from what I have seen, are great choices for this as the story lines contain witty humor that adults will appreciate as much as their children will - quite desirable from the point-of-view of adults to be sure. I can’t help, however, but think that listening to narration would also be a thoughtful choice for children who would like to enjoy Pango stories when having alone-time with their devices.

Do note that although this is Book 5, those new to this series will not feel as though they are missing much back story between characters, and it is also possible to download Pango Book 1 free - a full app, not a light version - which will allow adults to understand what these apps have to offer.

I give developer Julien Akita credit for this decision to create a free book that people can download to get a taste of Pango instead of making his apps free with in-app purchases - a trend that I personally don’t find appealing.

Pango Christmas is a lovely interactive app that includes readers in the storytelling in ways children and their adults will find most engaging. For this reason, it is easy for me to recommend Pango Christmas Book 5.

The Nativity Story - Popup Deluxe Edition is a lovely interactive app for iPad that tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ with the use of vintage-style images and mild but effective pop-up elements that children will enjoy.

An option is included for children to listen to narration while reading rhyming text, which sounds very clear and inviting with the perfect radio voice of an older man as well as hot spots included where one can tap to hear the characters talk, adding more depth to this app as Mary and Joseph look for a place to spend the night. I am not always a fan of stories that rhyme, but the words flow nicely here which I am glad about.

The look of this app is quite nice and colorful as well as yellowed and distressed, highly stylized with a period pop-up look that creates a subtle but effective layered look to this app complete with shadows behind the characters and scenery for a very nice vintage paper art effect.

I like the level of interactive pop-up elements keeping this app focused on the story without many distractions - a plus for fans of this religious story, I am sure. There are a few interactive areas which are nice, such as helping angels play instruments, pulling Mary on her donkey throughout Bethlehem, as well as knocking on and opening doors by various means, but adults expecting interactive elements that may rival those found in other specifically pop-up apps may feel a bit disappointed - a note worth making - but I do believe that this app has just the right amount of interactivity to keep children entertained, focused and engaged.

Although my knowledge of the Bible ends with the Old Testament, I was impressed with the quality of this application as every aspect of the illustrations, narration, interactions and music are of a very high quality. I especially appreciate how the birth of Jesus is captured, as readers are brought to a shot of a full moon glowing in the sky until the sounds of a baby can be heard - a thoughtful, cinematic moment that I found quite moving.

It is also worth noting that this app is available in English, French and Spanish. Scripture verses are also included for children and parents to be able to read the original text as well - a nice touch.

The Nativity Story - Popup Deluxe Edition would be a great choice for religious families looking for a Nativity app for their families. Every element is perfectly realized for the app these developers are trying to create, and for this reason I can highly recommend The Nativity Story - Popup Deluxe Edition.

Chuggington Traintastic Adventure is an app for iPad that my son spends a great deal of his screen time with.

We have a few sets of the Chuggington interactive set at home, and my son loves to build large tracks with them. They work well and stay together well, even on carpet, so I was interested to review this new app as our interactive set is one of three Chuggington sets on the market.

I did not know what to expect from this app, and was curious about my son’s take, as he prefers to build tracks and decorate the surrounding areas with his other toys such as dinosaurs or blocks - with less interest in the trains themselves. I had hoped that there would be some sort of building or laying down of tracks to suit my son’s love of train tables - not specifically trains.

The main section of this app, Build and Play is a sprawling area complete with tracks. Choose a train from the roundabout to wake up and take for a ride. Personalization is included, such as which train to choose, as well as attachment cars or other fun choices such as headlights or a speed booster. Drag a finger from the front of the train around the track anywhere the track can take you. There is a vastness to this track which makes up for the inability to move these tracks by oneself, and my son loves moving the cars around to different areas of this app, such as the the quarry or safari area in this engaging, surprisingly relaxing application.

One will notice coins floating over the tracks. Passing under these coins will cause the train to stop and be given a selection of train elements such as buildings, traffic stops, bell, or light post, which corresponds to the coin in question, then dragging the object where arrows show, further adding details to this app.

Seventy-eight of these coins exist, and I am sure that many children would adore this added, sticker-type element. However, my son honestly found these coins intrusive in his free play, enjoying this app even more after having found all of these coins. He is now free to move about the screen dragging long paths for these trains instead of having to stop every few inches.


I do not consider the inclusion of coins to be a huge flaw, but my son would have really appreciated the chance to have a free-play mode for this section, also being able to drop the correlating coin elements anywhere he desired on the screen, allowing more creativity as well.

I do like the ability to change the angles from which one is looking at the track with the pinch and zoom of fingers, but I wish one could see the track looking straight down as well as the entire track as a whole in order for players to get their bearing when looking for a specific location as well.

Players are able to look at the train elements they have earned through these coins in the My Collection section of this app, but I wish narration explained each item as kids new to Chuggington may not remember the specific buildings they gather. A series of video clips are also included that my son has enjoyed viewing.

There are four adventures also included where children will take more of a guided tour in these narrative-based sections, as the children follow specific paths laid out to perform certain acts such as gathering rocks from the quarry or other adventures.

Even though my son was not a huge fan of the coins, the number of hours he has spent with this app is quite impressive and shows no sign of slowing down in terms of interest.

Because of this, Chuggington Traintastic Adventures would make a great choice for children to use during traveling this holiday season, or merely as a gift for young train lovers.

It is simply not possible to pack up a train set for children to bring with them, so this app is perfect for all the down-time kids may experience. This app would make a nice gift of substance for any child who enjoys trains.

My son finds this app quite relaxing as do I, having fallen asleep next to him as he plays, listening to the included music which I find both upbeat as well as relaxing.

Although I have been somewhat critical during this review, I can recommend this app just the way it is, as Chuggington Traintastic Adventures is on the short list of apps for my son to spend time with.