Children’s ABC Review
Children’s ABC is a simple and sweet universal app aimed at teaching alphabet awareness to young children with the use of animation, interactive hot spots and sound effects. Like many app of this style, Children’s ABC’s includes one letter per page from A to Z, allowing the player to tap on the letter, word in question, or object used to demonstrate the letter at hand. A menu is also included to ease in finding a specific section if one chooses.
What makes this app stand apart from others like it is the use of hand-painted illustrations that one may expect to see in a classic children’s book from decades past, appealing to parents who appreciate traditional books but who still want to embrace interactive media as well.
These illustrations are lovely, and I appreciate the use of sound effects used here, especially when included among pages dedicated to animals such as an elephant, lion and whale, my personal favorite. I also enjoy how nicely paced the interactions are, intended for the viewer to sit back and enjoy as the moment plays out - a little longer than in other interactive moments similar to other apps, such as the development of a rainbow, watching a bird lose a feather, or a needle being threaded in order to stitch cloth. These choices are thoughtful and not overly stimulating, but a few sounds do jump out at the viewer, still appropriate for all but possibly the most timid of babies or toddlers. It is also a nice touch that these letters and words are narrated by both a man and a woman, but note that this app focuses on letter recognition and not phonic sounds - something that may be a nice inclusion for a later update.
I recommend this app for those looking for a lovely app that includes hot spots while maintaining the grace of an old-fashioned picture-and-words book for children.