Pete’s Robot Review

Pete’s Robot is a charming and marvelous interactive storybook app that adults will enjoy as much as their children will.

This is the story of Pete, who decides to build a robot from parts he sends away for online and complications ensue. It is tempting to go into detail about this fun story, but being really quite pleased with where this tale went, I don’t want to rob readers of experiencing it for themselves.

Consisting of 30 pages, this story is nicely involved and full of whimsy that makes me smile, yet is short on words, making it a perfect story to share with even young children who may not have a long attention span for other books while maintaining the curiosity of adults.

It is interesting to me how the style of illustrations is designed to look like children’s work, being sketches that remain rough around the edges that may take a a little getting used to, yet I admire this look as well as the hand-printed font used because I can tell that this is the work of a talented adult. It would be nice to have an option of a different type of font as well for new readers who may have difficulty with the text as is.

This style of drawings and quirky storytelling and fun music are reminiscent of the flash-animated internet cartoon HomeStar Runner or the live action show The Adventures of Pete and Pete. The interactions found on every page are as delightful as they are interesting, easily triggered with a tap, and each really adding to the richness and details of the story at hand. It is also charming how more involved interactions are demonstrated with arrows and simple text explaining these interactions to readers. Also included is a question mark that can be tapped on each page to be shown in more details the included hotspots.

Due to the volume of apps reviewed each week, I can’t share each app with my husband, but this app became a real family affair as I knew he would appreciate the humor and quality of this app as much as my son and I.

I admire the inclusion of not merely one narration, but the choice of three distinct voice choices, each with its own charming style that adds something special to this story as do the other elements found within.

I highly recommend Pete’s Robot to families who are looking for simple interactive stories that keep adults in mind as much as children. I really look forward to other apps to be developed by Heartdrive Media in the future. They have become developers I am keeping an eye on.