Category: Animals »

Sleep Well My Pet! is a simple and sweet collection of sleeping animals, relaxing to children, hopefully helpful in lulling them into slumber as well.

Easy to use, one can watch a slide show or scroll through these sleepy, charming images of animals such as dog, panda, pig or lion - all with their eyes closed as they rest. Non-mammal animals are included such as flamingos or green frog which are interesting as well as peaceful images.

Parents are also able to select or de-select images to focus on dogs or cats if they wish or to avoid an animal if they see fit.

One has a few musical choices to accompany this app, my favorite being the classical music piece Clair de Lune as well as an unnamed selection using the tankdrum instrument.

The images included here are lovely and are sure to be enjoyed by children of all ages, but I did notice as an adult that some of these photos, although nicely detailed, do have areas with a shallow depth of field which can create focus problems as well as an audio loop point that I found distracting - issues that I think would pass over the heads of the children this app is geared toward.

Even with this note, this app is a nice idea and may be effective in calming babies and other young children at bedtime or before their naps.

I do think, however, that the current price of this app at $3.99 is a little high compared to the content of other apps at this price point.

Having said this, Sleep Well My Pet! is a nice idea and may be effective in calming babies and other young children at bedtime or before their naps. Adults will also enjoy reading the included text with some insight as to how the idea for this app came about as well as some interesting information about the sleep habits of animals - a nice touch.

Meet the Insects - Village Edition is an excellent educational app that contains a vast amount of insect facts that will delight all ages from toddlers up through high schoolers and beyond.

Few apps have such a wide age range as Meet the Insects - Village Edition - one in series of bug-related apps. I am very impressed with the inclusion of narration for the majority of this app, making reading not a requirement to enjoy this application, although there are a few areas that will best serve older children who can read and write.

From the home page, one will see this app broken into six sections. I personally think that this app is best appreciated if one starts off with the “Insect Story,” which covers such topics as explaining what insects are vs. other creatures such as spiders - that are not, as well as insect life cycles, how insects pollinate flowers, the sounds insects make, and other interesting facts about flies in a household setting.

This section includes illustrations with light animation as well as video clips of insects and delivers a plethora of information which will make entomologists smile. I have learned a lot from listening and watching this video, with very good, clear and concise narration. I was simply blown away by how much information has been delivered this way.

Once this terrific overview is finished, venture over to “See the Insects” which will introduce users to different orders of insects such as Hemiptera insects which have needle-like mouths, or Diptera insects, with a single set of wings. Selections can be made by tapping insects directly or by choosing an order to scroll the different bugs to learn about. I love how butterflies are also represented as well as beetles and crickets and other types of insects that make noises.

Each of these insects is represented with well-written and narrated text which further explains a great deal about these bugs including a description of their appearance which can be seen in photos or video clips. A tap of the insect in question may make it move slightly for a great effect as these bugs look as if they come alive for a brief moment, as well as sometimes having the chance to use a magnifying glass to look at the creature in question up close. Fun facts are included which add whimsy to these insect areas as this app takes its bugs quite seriously. I am glad that cute yet still factual info is also included such as “Why do grasshoppers hate spinach” to keep this app light and cute for kids to enjoy.

A multimedia area is also available to see all the included photos and videos of insects accessible from a single place - each impressive in their details as well as the colors that can be seen in each insect. The videos include a simple narrated description of what is being seen, while the text found in the photos offered from this section are not narrated so parents may need to assist children in this area.

The Quizquiz is an area that uses tests to determine what children have learned with insect photos in this fun and interactive mini-game consisting of both multiple choice as well as a true and false question mode. These written tests without narration makes these quizzes great for older children or those who might need help from a parent as well.

An observational journal allows children to take a photo or use one from the photos on their iPad to then write about a subject - presumably about insects. I enjoy this opportunity for older students which can be saved and looked at in the future.

I enjoy being able to explore this app in both daytime as well as nighttime settings found on the home page, allowing for the nighttime bug sounds to be heard as well - a nice touch - as is the other glossary of insects that one can use to search for these insects by order as well as color, also including insects not covered in this specific app but may be covered in the other apps from this series.

There is a tremendous amount of information about insects in this highly educational application. I recommend this app to all families who enjoy insect information. I look forward to more of the apps from this series as well as other apps from this developer in the future.

Scholastic First Discovery Dinosaurs is a universal educational app that teaches about dinosaur facts in ways fun and interactive.

After really enjoying the other Scholastic First Discovery app, The Forest, as well as being a fan of the traditionally published book about dinosaurs on which this app is based, I was eager to review this new application as well.

I was honestly a little surprised how the content of this app varies so greatly from the book my son and I know and love - a simple non-fiction picture book including transparent, illustrated pages has been transformed into a heartier, if not as cohesive an experience, although the style of dinosaur illustrations remains true to the published book. Having said this, I appreciate all that there is to learn about dinosaurs as well as discovering all the educationally-driven interactivity.

Narration is included and, unlike other applications, reading the full text is not offered as this is less of a book and more of an interactive app - worth noting as this may not be suitable for use as an early reader, but this is in no way a flaw as this application, with its numerous facts spoken will teach not only about prehistoric times but will aid in strengthening listening comprehension as well.

This app can be enjoyed two ways - either by turning the pages of this app the way one traditionally would or choosing chapters to explore via the included menu.

Topics such as different sizes of dinosaurs are touched upon here, as a tap will enlarge the creature to show the scale next to a child and adult, as well as the narration to fully explain the size difference. I also appreciate how sometimes these dinosaurs are so large that only a piece of them can be seen, and one needs to pinch the screen to re-size the image to see the dinosaur fully as well as the humans, who are now smaller in comparison.

The differences of carnivores and herbivores are elaborated on as narration offers facts that allow children to categorize these creatures into either the hunter or non meat-eating category.

I also like that a few different possible reasons why the dinosaurs became extinct are included, be it from a series of volcanic eruptions, a meteorite hitting the earth or the inability of the dinosaurs to be able to adapt to changes in climates.

Fossils are explored, and I did find the completing of a dinosaur skeleton with other bones in a museum setting to be unintuitive, as the added 3-D effect complicated this activity. This page, taken from the book would be been better served in a more low-tech approach of completing a simple puzzle.

I do, however, really enjoy looking through the dirt in search of fossils that come alive with a tap as well as dragging a finger over skeletons to see who these bones belonged to in a way that is quite detailed and a lot of fun.

I also like exploring the globe, learning about animals who have been in some way related to dinosaurs, such as the Marine Iguana from the Galapagos Islands or the Cassowary from New Guinea, but I found that the globe one interacts with a touch too sensitive, moving to quickly to the point of distraction.

Although I enjoy these chapters very much, I do think this app lacks a proper introduction about dinosaurs and opens up onto a page allowing one to tap on eggs to hatch into these creatures - a page that one is unable to return to as it is not part of an included chapter. Likewise, the first section available is a single page discussing sea life which are not dinosaurs and therefore does not fit in well with the other content. This chapter would have been well-suited to being left out during the editing process.

Having said this, I do enjoy this app as will other fans of paleontology - young and old alike. Those familiar with the book will recognize certain elements as they explore this version created with interactivity in mind.

Although there are a few issues I would like to see smoothed out, there is a plethora of content as well as nicely detailed dinosaurs including ones that may be less common to some, making this an app that I can recommend.

Herd Absurd! Mix, Match and Collect is a charming toddler app that adults and older siblings will enjoy as well.

Herd Absurd! is a mix and match slider game where children can scroll through various head, torso with arms as well as bottom and leg sections of many different animals.

This is not a unique concept among applications, but Herd Absurd is a stand-out in a sea of apps such as this with its use of bright and bold colors and whimsically stylized animals.

Hot spots are included on each slider, animating the arms, legs and head of these creatures, creating a cause-and-effect that children will be delighted about as well as intriguing enough for adults and older children to enjoy exploring.

Do pull down the window at the top of the screen to show the animals that one is being asked to create, making this a goal-oriented game with memory elements as well as a free play app allowing children to mix and match different animal parts to their hearts' content.

Also included on the pull down window are the other animals included in this app that children will be asked to combine. For each right answer, a sticker is added to their corresponding spot to make each animal found as complete - also a nice touch that will allow children to feel success as they complete these animal slider puzzles.

When each animal is combined, music and colors are used to congratulate players as well as super-cute if not a little bit cheeky animated moments which are included that I find entertaining and delightful.

As an adult I have had more fun with Herd Absurd! than I expected, and I think toddlers as well as older children will adore this app as well.

Doctor Cat is a cute children’s app allowing users to use different medicines to treat animals.

This app is bright and colorful, with a simple and sweet narrative about a cat finding a lost doctor's bag and using its contents to treat creatures in need.

Do note the cloud at the top of each animal page which is pulled down to find the tools one uses to treat the sick. Although I don’t think the contents of the medical bag would necessarily be found by children who stumbled across this app themselves, the placement of these objects is explained in the parents' section, and once shown, children will have no problem accessing and using these tools to help the animals feel better.

Right hand taps to page turning arrows allow this story to progress, but children are able to choose the animals directly from a menu page styled like a map or maze, showing the cat making his rounds to each patient. Feel free to follow the path or choose any animal favorites one may desire. Other Simple hotspots along the way that add some other interactive details without too much distraction.

Narration is included which is clear and well-spoken, and I appreciate how children use both their empathy as well as rudimentary first aid knowledge to choose the appropriate remedy for each animal.

I can seen this app being used as a gentle reminder to be easy and helpful when taking medicine, yet I can’t help but notice that many of the drugs given, even on an OTC level, are not typically approved for children at the young age this app is geared for, and I would not want my young child asking me for drugs as treatments for simple colds or other viruses.

Having said this, I do think this app is charming, allowing children to take steps to make hurt or sick animals feel better - which children will really enjoy. My son loves to play animal doctor with his stuffed animals, and although I would never expect this app to take the place of this creative play, I like how he can still do this kind of pretending when we are out and about without all the plastic medical tools he has collected over the years.

There is an undeniable level of quality in Dr. Cat, a role-playing app that children are sure to enjoy a great deal, making this app great for toddlers' social intelligence and simple cognitive skills.

StoryBox 2 is a second installment of the digital magazine StoryBox, based on the award winning children’s magazine of the same name and based in the UK.

Because my son has begun to enjoy published children’s magazines at this point, I am always interested in reviewing their digital equivalents.

StoryBox 2 consists of five different sections: a short story as well as two non-fiction sections, an area of games and activities and a second chapter to Polo - a serial cartoon without words.

I do enjoy the Storytime selection, A Night At School, about anthropomorphic animals spending the night at school to avoid a wolf who had been spotted near by, as this story includes an appropriate amount of suspense relatable to my son who I am sure would have a range of emotions regarding the idea of spending the night at school.

There is a very nice moment when the animal children meet the wolf for the first time, realizing that this animal is old and means them no harm - a moment that I think children will keep with them for some time.

Based in the UK, the narrator, to an American ear, has an accent as well as speaks a little quickly but should not be too much of a problem for children to listen to. It is also worth noting that one can record one's own narration - always a good option to have.

I was also quite impressed with the information explained in the Wonder with the Wizkid area of this app, as children learn alongside a curious alien child, allowing children to tap this character’s speech bubbles as Wizkid asks all kinds of questions - here about why humans have five fingers.

I especially like how more in depth the information gets as children then turn the page, tapping to read and hear more about this subject, comparing human hands to those of other animals such as cats, monkeys or fish.

This section also includes some Fun Facts about evolution, and I admire how it is explained that although scientists don’t know why exactly humans have five fingers, there is much that we do know about the subject. I want my son to begin to understand that for some questions, there are no good answers, and that this can nevertheless be ok.

Animal World is another very nice non-fiction section that discusses the world of stags, adult male deer.

There is a lot of information for children to absorb both by reading as well as listening, and I learned some interesting facts about these animals here as well. The illustrations included are wonderful, highly detailed and attractive, but it would have also been nice to see some actual stag photos.

Pull-up window tabs are also included that cover such information as where do stags live, what do they eat and what size do they grow to, but I wish more information were included than “They are a lot bigger than you” to describe the rough drawing of the scale between a child and stag, which could have been more fully explored.

Fun and Games is an interactive area of this app that contains traditional activities such as a Dot-to-Dot, coloring or spot-the-difference pages. My favorite pages from this section involve the tapping to count different vegetables during snack time and a puzzle exercise where one drags puzzle elements which fit into the image of the larger page consisting of a maze that is then completed with the drag of a finger. I do wish an eraser were offered as a tool to aid children as they complete the dot-to-dot and maze activity, and it would also be great if one could tap for hints or simply see the completed Find the Difference page as children may not complete this section without help.

Polo is the serial comic of StoryBox. Without words, this story is dreamlike, picking up from the end of the first chapter where Polo, a dog character, travels up into space from his bedroom window. This adventure continues into a new venue promised for the next installment. I do love the gentle storytelling of Polo, but I do wish each chapter were a little longer as I simply would love more.

Do note that one can tap these comic book-inspired panels, enlarging them to full screen as one wishes as well as recording one’s own stories based on what is seen. Although I don’t often make my own recordings when narration is included, I see great benefit to being able to have children record their own stories - here told without words and wonderful for their creativity. This music included here is also perfectly relaxing, making this section especially desirable at bedtime.

Although I don’t think that a few of the activities such as a single coloring or Dot-To-Dot pages are what make this app stand out from others in iTunes, I truly enjoyed learning about the topics of human hands and stags as well as the other included stories, making this an easy application to recommend.

This is the second in a series of StoryBox applications. If interested, please read my first StoryBox review on GiggleApps as well.

Rounds: Parker Penguin is a delightful universal app that nicely blends elements of Life Sciences into the story of penguin life in Antarctica, the second in a series of Rounds apps from Nosy Crow.

Rounds: Parker Penguin wonderfully captures the life cycle of these creatures from birth to procreation, depicting three generations of offspring.

There are two basic ways of exploring Rounds: Parker Penguin. In Read and Play, follow along with highlighted text as one listens to narration. Tap the screen to interact with surroundings, especially looking for blue dots used to highlight interactive hotspots, also keeping in mind that Parker and other characters may also speak if touched.

In Read to Myself, the use of sound effects and music are still included, but the text is silenced allowing children to read to themselves, including the added dialogue of the penguins, now seen only as speech bubbles.

I really appreciate all the polish that has been included within the Rounds apps, as the interactions bring not only richness to this story but their actions often propel the narrative and are never random or distracting in any way and sometimes going beyond a tap or drag to create wonderful moments which add important facts or details to this application.

The palette used of blue, white and shades of grey captures Antarctica beautifully, as do the stylized illustrations with a heavy use of circles and half circles that I have come to expect from the Rounds series.

I admire the slow pacing of this app, as children will need to take their time allowing moments to unfold, tapping characters more than once to hear extra penguin facts. The included musical score, sound effects and whale sounds found within the ocean all work together to create a thoroughly relaxing experience children and adults will enjoy a great deal.

Although one can turn the pages at any time, this function is asleep and needs to be tapped twice to forward the pages before everything has been explored within, then becoming black and bouncing, letting readers know it is safe to turn the page - an inclusion I greatly appreciate.

As gentle as this app is, children will also have a lot of fun with the speed Parker can slide or swim, yet maintaining the serene environment - an element that has mild arcade elements while sustaining a relaxing tone. Likewise, I enjoy helping Parker feed, as he swims after little fish yet avoids larger fish who may also be hungry, nicely touching upon predator and prey in a way that is sensitive and age-appropriate.

As this app progresses, Parker grows into an adult and goes on a march looking for a mate. I love the music and dance used to express the mating ritual of these animals as well as the egg passing made famous by the movie March of the Penguins.

When it is time, help the egg hatch with a tap, learning about baby penguins along the way as this new penguin grows into adulthood as well, mating and becoming a father himself.

Three generations of penguins are included with different names but same life experiences as this app cycles over to great effect. I do wish, however, that parents had a choice to end the app after three generations if they choose to in order to create an endpoint often found helpful in reining in their children, especially at bedtime.

Even with this mild note, Rounds: Parker Penguin will be a wonderful addition to any digital library. The writing is thoughtful and is quite conversational, delivering facts about penguins that will stay with children for a long time.

I have also greatly enjoyed the first app in this series Rounds: Franklin Frog. I hope to see more of these apps in the future as they are top-notch in every way and are screen time that adults can feel good about.

Pepi Tree is a delightful new universal interactive app that teaches children a bit about the animals found living in trees.

I really love the look of this app - colorful and highly detailed as well as filled with the sounds of the forest.

Scroll up or down the tree found center screen in this lovely children’s app as one will meet different creatures and explore activities.

At the top of the tree, help feed a colorful caterpillar, be it leaves or fruit, and then watch the metamorphosis into cocoon and finally a beautiful butterfly.

Below this top section is an area that focuses attention on an owl and takes place at night. Using his night vision, search with a finger for an animal one can hear but needs to find, later fitting it into a chunky puzzle sound on the bottom of the screen.

Also included is a chance to help a colorful spider spin a web. Then help him catch bugs as well with the tap of a finger. It is nice that here children can create webs that look like something a spider might spin, or make something creative and original.

Feeding a family of squirrels is also an activity. Tap to hear them sing, but be selective in the food you offer them.

Also enjoy the growing and feeding of forest delights to a hungry hedgehog, choosing wisely what the hedgehog may like or prefer to avoid. I did have a hard time figuring out that pretty yellow flowers were meant to be decorations in the hedgehog's hair. Because of this, I would love to have more of a prompt or hint if players seem stuck so that this section can progress to the end of this section.

Children will also have a chance to help a mole through an underground maze to his home, using differently shaped keys to his abode.

The sense of style these mini games possesses is delightful, bright and inviting. I really enjoy the song which accompanies these sections - upbeat, fun and childlike as well as having a wonderful, almost indie pop sound that many parents will especially enjoy.

The details in both the fruit devoured as well as on the caterpillar, which later becomes a butterfly, are simply splendid as are all the elements found in this app, making it stand out among a sea of other applications available through iTunes.

Although I may not go as far as to say this app is a highly educational app for children, being a language-neutral app without specific, concrete facts, children will learn about the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly as well as the different foods these animals in general like to eat and also where they live and sleep.

I am greatly impressed by how colorful and intricate the images are as well as how polished the included music is. I look forward to Pepi Play’s future applications.

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.

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.

Elly’s Christmas is a new title in a series of Elly the Reindeer apps - personal favorite stories of my son.

Here, Elly is focused on preparing for Christmas Day by decorating her tree, wrapping gifts for her friends, decorating cupcakes and preparing a snack for Santa and his reindeer.

Also included is a mysterious visit in the middle of the night that surprises Elly, but all ends well in this cute and sweet story.

I have always loved how the Elly books deal with the process of preparing for a big day - interesting details that I think are important in order for my son to stay grateful for what he has and the fun things he may experience. I have also really appreciated the relationships seen in these books as they exemplify healthy friendships between peers.

The act of getting ready is further emphasized nicely by the ability to tap on interactions found in the top corners of these page spreads that show Elly decorating, wrapping or preparing snacks as well as other details and sound effects in a way that both parents as well as children will think is charming as well as simple to navigate as these hotspots are not hidden - and helpful to the newest app users.

Very good narration is also included and also the ability to read this book out loud - the way my son and I love sharing these stories together. Soon, my son will enjoy these tales in a new way by using them as early readers as well.

Scholastic First Discovery: The Forest for iPhone is an impressive adaptation of the printed non-fiction title “In the Forest” A First Discovery Look and Learn Book from Scholastic. A version of this app is also available for iPad.

The Forest is an impressive application about nature, with wonderfully bright colors and robust details on each page bringing the sights of forests to devices. Instead of text that one would read, this app consists of very good narration that leads children through interactive exercises that will teach them a lot about the forests of North America.

Six chapters are included that cover a lot of ground, such as learning about both deciduous and coniferous trees, tapping leaves or branches to learn about the trees they belong to, also allowing children to drag these realistic bits of foliage around the screen.

The seasons are explored by asking children to rub the forest shown with a finger, triggering the changes one would expect during the changing seasons, from dense green forests to the leaves turning brilliant fall colors and then the shedding of these leaves in winter.

Children will enjoy seeing the colored leaves fall onto the screen, needing to clear their device of them to continue - a fun interaction that lets children gaze at very realistic, colorful and pretty leaves close up to show detail - a very nice touch.

Forest animals as well as insects are also explored, as children search thick forests for animals hidden out of plain sight, nicely showing the depth and 3D effect this app consists of, as well as introducing insects to children, wonderfully enlarging these creatures to show details. Children will also enjoy the ambient sounds found throughout these chapters, but most notably here as these animals make their sounds then tapped as well as identified by narration. I enjoy this section a great deal, but I wish that an interesting sentence were offered for each of these creatures, not just including each name.

One very unique section is the chance to see a large variety of flowers bloom with the tapping of a colored dot found close to the ground as well as folding themselves back down into the earth with a second tap.

The details of each flower are quite impressive, watching over a period of a second or so what could take weeks to unfold in nature, complete with musical and other sound effects that bring richness to the experience, also found in other sections as well.

I appreciate that children here are warned that the foxglove is poisonous, but I wish more about these plants were included as well as information about other plants to avoid contact with.

Another interesting section is the ability to gather wildly grown berries, nuts and mushrooms into a basket, presumably for eating later. Watch as these foods become enlarged to show detail as well as labeled by the included narration. I value the explanation about how some items found are not edible, yet the only mushroom warned about is the fly agaric, shown here with a distinct red color that kids may now know to avoid at all costs.

Other mushrooms safe to consume and included here are the parasol, hedgehog, chanterelle and porcino mushrooms, yet it does make me nervous that children may fancy themselves knowledgeable about wild mushrooms after exploring this app - a serious concern as even adults can make mistakes identifying mushrooms, as some innocuous-looking poison mushrooms exist and deaths have occurred.

The illustrations are detailed and certainly beautiful to look at, and I as an adult have enjoyed comparing fancy mushrooms that we may see in stores, but I have always told my son never to touch or eat any mushrooms grown in the wild, and I would feel the need to repeat myself even more strongly after the use of this application.

The same is also true about the wild berries found, as the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and black berries are good to ingest, but holly, with its red berries, could be inviting to a child and is toxic if consumed. I do wish some other poisonous berries were also touched upon, such as ivy berries that look like grapes or pokeweed and chokeberries that many kids could mistake for blueberries or cherries so that children and their parents will know they exist as well, and that not all “berries” are safe to eat - especially those with red flesh.

Trees also also cut down in the forest section of this app, yet it is also nice to see new trees planted in their place, and children will find it quite interesting how forests prevent avalanches.

A globe is also offered to allow children to rotate, choosing forests to look at closely, learning about the Northern Boreal, temperate forests of Europe and North America as well as the tropical forests.

Before diving into the global section, I was asked for access to my Locations Services, for what I assumed to be more specific information about forests in my area of the world - personalization I do not mind, but I did not see anything specific that would need my location. After I turned off permission to my location services I saw no differences in the application, leaving me to wonder why this app makes this request with a pop-up window children will not understand and should not be dabbling in.

I wish the iTunes notes had more information about this issue, and that this was a setting adults could control instead of being accessed during the app itself.

Having said this, I have been very impressed with the great amount of details and lush colors found within this app. The sounds of the forest are also nicely executed as is the level of interactivity. I do wish that a few more facts could be included, not just the names of the objects found within. This app would make a great starting point for curious children to ask questions and do more research of their own, as this app will be of interest to a wide range of children through grade school and beyond.

As my son and I go for walks, we come home during the fall months, especially, with a variety of leaves, pine cones and other treasures. I often choose a perfect leaf for my son as a gift, especially as the leaves start to change, but I was unable to identify these leaves when my son asked. Because of this, I was quite intrigued by learning the names of the trees that have until now simply been familiar to my family. For this reason and more, I do recommend this app to families, even with the concerns I have raised.

The Forest is an app based on the First Discovery Look and Learn Books from Scholastic. I hope to see more from this series in the future, as the quality of this app is quite high - engaging as well as educational.

Animal SnAPP: Farm is a series of six delightful tales about animals on a farm, also including a wonderful way of story selection, as children complete a slider puzzle of each animal they would like to choose.

Starring animals such as a lamb, goat, pig or dog, these stories are as bright and colorful as can be. Each of these stories are charming to read and often including the foibles of children seen within these anthropomorphic animals such as a sheep missing his mom after getting lost, a cow in need of sleep, or a moody pig, making these tales relatable to children and their parents can relate to.

As with other apps by Nosy Crow, children have a choice to Read and Play which allows children to read along with highlighted, charming narration by children and allowing them to tap animals in this book to hear them talk additional lines of text as long as they wish.

Read by Myself allows children to thoughtfully choose the length of time that text on the page will be available before moving on, adapting the flow to text to be read by children on their own, set to their own reading abilities.

Although I often find stories written in rhyme forced and awkward to read, I do not find this to be the case with the tales from Animal SnAPP: Farm, well-written by first-time storybook writer Axel Scheffer, celebrated illustrator for children’s books such as The Gruffalo.

The girl or boy who narrates these stories does a very good job as well, with inflections nicely helping these tales along - always important, especially within a rhyming story.

The only note I do have is that I would love to see a choice to add the highlighting on the background animals who have something to say with a tap, helping young children fully explore this app.

Although I appreciate the need to double tap the page turning arrows, reducing the accidental page turning, I would also love to see a highlight of sorts letting children know when all the action of these stories has played out, and it is safe to turn the page.

These are minor notes in a universal application that will be enjoyed by a wide range of children as well as their adults, but I would love to see users of devices before IPhone 4 and iPad 2 have a chance to enjoy this application.

Before knowing this limitation, I did try to install Animal SnAPP: Farm on my iPad 1 as this is the iPad we feel comfortable leaving alone with out 4.5 year old son. Unable to install this app, it was stated that Animal SnAPP: Farm only worked on devices with a forward-facing camera, yet I have not been able to find any extras that include the camera technology.

I do hope an update could include older models of iPhone and iPad apps, as from what I can tell, what this app has to offer would translate well onto other devices as well.

Dinosaur Train Mesozoic Math Adventures is a fun new math app for iPad that will teach math concepts in a way that children will find engaging.

My son really enjoys dinosaurs in general as well as being a fan of the Dinosaur Train, a PBS kids show that this app is based on, as well as math in general from a young age. Because of this, my boy was very excited to hear of this new math app and has been enjoying this app a great deal recently.

Dinosaur Train Mesozoic Math Adventures consists of four main areas.

Through the Window is a very nice counting game, allowing children to count the various objects one sees from different dinosaur periods, such as rocks, trees or bodies of water.

I enjoy the perspective of looking out of the train window at different dinosaur time periods after going through a time tunnel, as they are conversationally asked to pick out different numbers of seen items by dinosaurs Buddy and Tina, ultimately including two items to count per game in the hardest of three levels of difficulty.

Don’s Collection is an area consisting of Don the Dino showing off his various collections, grouped together by type and shown lined up in columns. Listen to Don’s questions about each of these collections as he may ask which column is greater or less than.

This section contains three levels, and I like how the levels vary from easy to medium to hard. In the simplest area, two columns are compared, and the questions can be answered without counting because it is easy to see that one section has many more or less than another, allowing children to follow along with these concepts even if they are new to addition.

In the moderately difficult section, three columns are in use, and the amounts found on each column become closer in number, making counting a necessity and include three columns to focus on.

Later, the number of columns increases to four, and the math becomes more advanced and includes simple ratios such as which column contains half of one or twice of another.

Another area of this app is Life Cycles, asking children to sequence different images that express different points in the life cycles of various dinosaur-related creatures.

I really enjoy this section as children are exposed to the word “hypotheses” as well as rewarded with a short animated sequence which gives more information about these animals, with excellent narration also offering fun facts that vary in detail from the easy to difficult sections.

The sophistication in terms of the sequencing also increases nicely, from three simple pictures often including an egg, small and large animals to organize to animals with more of a metamorphosis, and later adding an unrelated image to sort out as well.

Life Cycles is my favorite section of this app as I enjoy the animation and narration given that explain a great deal about the growth cycles of animals that are both enjoyable as well as educational.

A sticker section, Build a Scene, is also included which allows children to decorate scenes from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous time periods. Although some stickers are included outright, children will gain new stickers from completing the other sections of this app.

Nice narration is also included within this sticker section which briefly describes these different time periods, but I feel that this element could have gone further with the conversational dinosaur information offered as I think this is a great way to engage children, further building on their vocabulary and listening comprehension.

Children are also able to save their landscapes to their iPad as well as continue working on their backgrounds later.

Parents and teachers will appreciate the section of this app explaining each section, game play and take-away points in a very straight-forward fashion that I greatly appreciate.

Dinosaur Train Mesozoic Math Adventure is a nice early math application for young children which focuses not on math concepts but on their ability to listen to directions as well.

This app will be a hit with children already fond of Dinosaur Train but will be of interest to other children not already familiar with them, as these dinosaurs who guide children through these exercises are inviting and colorful which is also seen throughout this app. I would love to see more narration included about these grand creatures as well as the time periods in which they lived.