Elly Book 10 Review

Elly Book 10, as the name may imply, is the 10th book in the wonderful series of interactive storybooks starring Elly, a most endearing and relatable reindeer - now a good friend of my son’s as well.

Like the other titles in this series by UK author and illustrator, Jon Higham, this story consists of Elly and gang helping a new friend who needs to find his way back home.

One has the option of listening to included narration or reading this book by oneself. Both options here are delightful, as the narration by Rose Higham is lovely as usual, including the creation of different voices used for each of these characters, each cute and charming.

Although the included narration will be a favorite element to other children, reading these books out loud to my son has long been my family's favorite way to spend app time that we really enjoy. These simple books flow really well, are easy to read and will make lovely first readers when my son is ready.

Here, a new character to this series is introduced, Lumi, a lost polar bear who is in need of help in finding his way back to the North Pole. Elly is at a loss as to what to do, so she asks her friends to lend a hand, helping Lumi make his way home, as well as gathering food and building shelter until he is able to make this trip.

Typically, adult humans are not found among these stories that revolve around Elly the reindeer, her animal friends, and her human friend Aapo. I think that it is a nice to include Aapo’s uncle, an explorer who is able to help Lumi go back home, as sometimes adults need to help children with problems that they may face. I am also very fond of how cooperation in general is a theme among these titles as Elly often needs to ask for help from her friends - great lessons for children to learn.

My son loves this story, as he does the other Elly apps. The mild drama of a lost creature in need of a helping hand is very captivating to my son, as his favorite game at the park is saving me - his “baby” - from alligators or hot lava, and now I am sure he will create a game where he needs to help me - as an animal that needs to find its way back home too.

The details from the airplane with skies to the building of an igloo to keep Lumi cool and comfortable were of great interest to my son, but what really fascinated him was the talk of the “magic lights" - a moment especially well narrated as well.

Like the other Elly books, hotspots are found in the corners of these pages, nicely marking where to tap, making it easy for the youngest children to explore these included sound effects. Although my son has access to the most interactive apps available, these lovely storybooks are still quite dear to his heart, also loving these simple additional sounds found throughout, tapping each one as I read these pages.

For the first time, an animated element has also been included, bringing the Northern Lights to this story as they magically appear in the sky for Elly and friends to see as they bid their new friend Lumi good night a long way away in the North Pole, and my son had a real moment watching the aurora borealis flicker across the last page of this story, making this a perfect bedtime story that gently introduces the idea the the world is bigger than one's backyard.

My son’s face beamed throughout as I read this story to him. At the end, he asked my to read it again - high praise as he typically requests a variety of apps instead of a repeat performance the way he does with this darling polar bear story.

I am really happy that this series of Elly apps has included so many titles, allowing my son to get to know these creatures as they demonstrate true kindness and friendship. As a parent, I would be happy for my son to emulate these relationships. I hope more Elly books are to come.