Billy Morris and the Land of the Dinosaurs Review

Posted by Amy Solomon on September 19th, 2011
iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad

Billy Morris and the Land of the Dinosaurs is a fun and very educational app that kids will really enjoy. A terrific glossary of dinosaur information is included, as are a matching game and puzzle activity.

Meet Billy and best friend, Spud, two dinosaur-intrigued kids who decide to pass through a portal to go back in time to visit these creatures. Back into prehistoric times, they come across many varieties of dinosaurs - some harmless vegetable eaters as well as other, more threatening species.

I really enjoy this story, and my son is a huge fan as well. I like the mild science fiction added to this story, using a portal to send the boys back in time, as it is super-cute that the boys' “special hats” that they must wear are a pot and colander they found in their kitchen, and that no real explanation is given as to where this portal comes from - something I am
happy to see as this is a story for young children, maintaining a sense of wonder that I think would have been lost with concrete answers about their space travel.

Although this is not a specifically interactive book, there is one moment where as the time turns to 12:00, one must tap the clock to send the boys on their way, this being highlighted nicely with a glowing effect. I think that this simple, single interaction is a great inclusion, bringing a very nice element to this book as the tapping propels the boys through space, landing them into the land of dinosaurs.


It is especially nice that these two characters have their own personalities as Billy is more the dino lover and risk taker, as Spud is more coming along for the ride and is more cautions in general. I like how this structure creates opportunities where Spud asks questions about various dinosaurs that Bud in turn answers, creating a story book rich with good information about these dinosaurs. It is great that this app gives lots of tidbits of information on many dinos, and there is a moment that even more of these creatures are at least named and their images shown, creating a whole dinopalooza of creatures to learn about and enjoy - more than I thought would be covered in this app or any app like it.


I am also happy to report that this app covers dinos beyond the most obvious choices like stegosaurus, triceratops, and T Rex, including thoughtfully chosen information delivered in a way that is conversational and easily digested. This story also has a nice moment of suspense - a nice of bit drama for my preschool son as it is intriguing without being overly alarming.


This app has become a quick favorite for my son, who enjoys the narrated mode that this app offers as the narration is excellent, as are the illustrations included throughout this app, complete with an interesting palette of colors, my favorite being the majestic blue used for the mountains found in this story. Reading to oneself is also an option.


At 52 pages, this book is long for many to use as a bedtime story, but I enjoy how this tale is both engaging yet relaxing for my son as he has watches intently as this story unfolds while typically holding a stuffed dino of his own as this story plays out. I often will use this tale as leverage for an extra-early bedtime story - something that I have found effective.


I am really impressed with the glossary of dinos included here as well. This section included 14 pages of dinosaurs with information such as a map showing where on the earth the prehistoric animal would have been found as well as details about height and weight.

American readers may want to note that metric units are used here, something U.S. kids would not be used to, but this app does a nice job of using real-world comparisons such as the length of a bus to the weight of an elephant that kids from all over will understand. It is cute how visually this information is also offered, comparing a dinosaur to a man and an elephant, as these dinos could be of comparable size to this elephant or greatly dwarfing both, really showing off the scale of these dinosaurs.

My favorite part of this app is how in this glossary section, one can tap to hear both the name of each of these dinosaurs, as well as the phonetic sounds of the name, something I find incredibly helpful. Since I have never mastered the pronunciation of many of these names, the reading of dinosaur-themed books or stories is a challenge that I often shy away from as struggling to read my son a story can be quite a chore of me and I hope that with the use of this app, I can read the names of these creatures with confidence. It would be good if this section of information was narrated past the dino name, so my son could enjoy this section when by himself, but I am more than happy to read these facts out loud to my son.


This app will surely please any dinosaur lover, young or old and I am happy to say that I learned a lot from this app as well.

iPhone Screenshots

(click to enlarge)

Billy Morris and the land of the dinosaurs screenshot 1 Billy Morris and the land of the dinosaurs screenshot 2 Billy Morris and the land of the dinosaurs screenshot 3 Billy Morris and the land of the dinosaurs screenshot 4 Billy Morris and the land of the dinosaurs screenshot 5
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