Cells (Kids Discover; Free for a limited time, then, $3.99; Gr 5-9) by Sean Price offers students an overview of animal, plant, and human cellular life. On opening the app, viewers can choose from 11 sections or scroll screen by screen through chapters that present both text and colorful illustrations under such headings as “The Stuff of Life,” “DNA Unraveled,” and “What Cells Do.” “Zooming In” offers a cut-away diagram with 10 clearly marked parts and functions of the cell from the nucleus to the role of the mitochondrion. When tapped, the corresponding part or parts of the cell light up (while the rest darkens), allowing students to see exactly what they look like or where they take place. “Incredible Journey” features a short, narrated video clip that takes viewers into the blood stream, zooming past red blood cells, and into the center of a single white blood cell to view chromosomes. “Engineering in a Better World?” mentions gene therapy, stem cells, genetic testing research, and  the “thorny issues” raised by genetic engineering. Music clips, animation, and interactive screens (such as a time line covering the years 1590 to 1997), are some of the additional enhancements found in the app. A maze, a simple jigsaw puzzle, and a five-question quiz are also available, but once they are tried it’s unlikely users will revisit them. There is no glossary or list of key facts. The last section contains short lists of print and web resources with live links (to Amazon, in the case of the books). Two of the four recommended books may be best suited to a slightly younger audience. Cells is also available in a Spanish language edition. —Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Avondale, LA

Kids Discover has produced a number of high quality nonfiction offerings for iOS devices and Matter ($3.99; Gr 5-8) is another. The text introduces readers to the following concepts: atoms, elements, states of matter, mixtures, and physical changes versus chemical changes, as well as real-world examples of these states and their properties. The writing is clear and precise and well suited to those new to the subject. Because the app is both comprehensive and illustrative, it could easily serve as an interactive stand-in for texts of a more static nature. The bright, sharp visuals are stunning; each page is pleasingly arranged with an appropriate balance of information and illustration. Animations, sound effects, and short video clips are incorporated throughout demonstrating, for example, how a steam engine works and what happens when a piece of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) is dropped into a glass of water. Accompanying the text is a vocabulary matching activity and a brief five-question quiz. Interactive activities include a step-by-step experiment guide and practice problems for calculating volume. Between the lucid writing and the beautiful visuals, this app will have many classroom applications. The brief, how-to section that appears when the title is first opened serves as a tutorial on how to use the app. A worthwhile addition to nonfiction collections.— Lindsay Cesari, Baldwinsville School District, NY

Three tabs, “solid,” ‘liguid” and “gas,” lead viewers to paragraph-length definitions and descriptions of each of the States of Matter  (Braahmam Net Solutions Pvt. Ltd.; Gr 5-8) in this free app. In addition, a list of properties is provided for each state, as well as an animated “demonstration” of its particle activity and forces. Finally, a quiz consisting of 10 simple true-and-false and mulitiple-choice questions is provided. The language of the text is awkward at times, suggesting a translation. Viewers can opt to read it or listen to the narration. While neither deep nor particularly exciting in presentation, the app may offer students an opportunity to test or review what they know about the topic.—Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal

National Geographic Birds: Field Guide to North America. National Geographic/IXONOS. 2012. iOS, requires 5.0 or later. Version 3.3. $9.99.

Gr 4 Up-No longer must fledgling birders juggle a field guide, a journal, and a pen—all they need is this app, and voilà, they’re ready to go. The app, like the print version of the guide (2006; Jon L. Dunn and Jonathan Alderfer, eds.), offers an overview of avian species on our continent, their appearance and behavior, as well as labeled color images and habitat and range maps. Giving each animal a voice is one of the features listeners are sure to sing about. On the trail, users can sort the creatures by name, family, taxonomy, color, size, habitat, month, region, and abundance. Once a bird is spotted and identified, the journal feature allows users to document the sighting, automatically identifying the location, time, date, and weather. Users also have the option to add notes and/or a photo and share the event. There are quizzes of various levels to take, more than two dozen up-to-date news articles to read, a toolkit that includes a glossary, and 16 short videos. Whether visiting a park, forest, meadow, the shore, or just sitting in their own backyards watching winged wildlife, viewers are sure to appreciate this extraordinary guide.–Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Jefferson, LA

Poems by Heart. Inkle/Penguin Group USA. 2013. iOS, requires 4.3 or later. Version 1.1. Free. $.99 per additional add-on bundle.

Gr 7 Up-The stickiness of this app isn’t in the modest selection of well-known poems, or the serviceable narrators who will read them aloud to you. It’s not the pleasant design or the intuitive navigation. It’s the surprising realization that you want to memorize poetry! Tap the tempting blinking triangle labeled “Learn this” and you find yourself choosing words from a box to fill in the missing words of the poem, line by line. Your mistakes will be instantly corrected and you’ll get a score for your progress stanza by stanza. Want to try again? You can, you’ll do better, and you’ll get a higher score. Soon, you’ll know the poem by heart, and you can record yourself reciting the verses you memorized. The free app comes with two poems, and additional thematic four-poem “bundles” are available for purchase. Each poem is labeled for level of difficulty. Selections range from Edward Lear’s “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” to Walt Whitman’s “O Captain! My Captain!” The game of poetry is unexpectedly satisfying.–Chris Gustafson, Whitman Middle School Library Teacher, Seattle School District, WA

A Word’s A Bird: Spring Flies By in Rhymes. Orel Protopopescu. illus. by Jeanne B. de Sainte Marie. Syntonie & Actialuna. 2013. iOS, requires 5.0 or later. Version 1.0.1. $2.99.

PreS-Gr 4-Have you ever lamented that insightful yet accessible poems for children are hard to come by? If yes, then this may be the app for you. Written by award-winning author/poet Protopopescu, this four-poem collection introduces children to the power of language by encouraging them to explore metaphors through sight, sound, and touch.The first selection illuminates the collection’s title. The three poems that follow offer unusual, and playful, glimpses into the natural world during the spring months. “May,” for example, opens with a text scroll descending toward a cardinal pecking in a meadow. The words, “A bloom’s a room/you seek/when you want/to sneak a peek/at nectar sippers,” are highlighted, one by one, as they are read aloud. A tap to a scroll and the verse replays, while a touch to an underlined word brings forth a definition. For “May,” readers and listeners learn that “nectar sippers” refers to insects and “a bloom” is “another way to say a flower.” Clearing the scroll from the screen brings the scene to life through animation and interactivity. In this case, the cardinal flies to a garden of closed peonies, an inchworm creeps out from under a leaf, and the “blooms” open to “rooms” and reveal “nectar sipper” bees hiding inside. So clever! The hand-painted watercolor illustrations created by Jeanne B. de Sainte Marie portray a bright and idyllic world of duck ponds, lily pads, and weeping willows. Realistic sounds and hidden surprises abound in this delightful production.–Kathleen S. Wilson, NYU/Tisch School of the Arts, New York, NY

If your school year ends in May or early June, you may have missed Nosy Crow’s latest foray into the world of fairy tales, Little Red Riding Hood. “Seamless interactivity, nonlinear storytelling, immersive game play,” and more than a touch of humor, characterize this production featuring vibrant illustrations and a lively narrative. Children will find themselves lost (in a good way) in this delightful version as they get their protagonist through the woods to grandma’s house, and the woman out of a pickle (or cupboard, in this case). Screen time options for new readers are built into the production.

Two apps both elementary children and their teachers and parents will appreciate are Julie Hedlund’s A Troop of Monkeys and A Shiver of Sharks (Little Bahalia Publishing). In addition to introducing collective nouns, these interactive titles offer gentle environmental messages and stunning collage artwork. In each app, reading strategies and discussion questions for the animal groups can be found behind the “Parents & Teachers” tabs, and lists of the Common Core standards and Bloom’s Taxonomy objectives addressed are provided. From a surfeit of skunks with their “stinky, foul fumes” to a “cast of crabs” scuttling sideways, these are titles that are sure to find favor with kids.

Recommend our column titled “A Starter Collection of Apps for the Preschool Set” to teachers who have just purchased their first classroom iPad. It’s a list of our favorite apps reviewed over the past two years and it features both classic (Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit/Loud Crow Interactive) and contemporary stories (Tad Hill’s How Rocket Learned to Read/Random House Digital). The age range for most of these quality productions extends to first grade.

Mo Willems hardly needs to be introduced to children; once one kindergarten or first grade student discovers his “Elephant and Piggy” books, it’s impossible to keep them on the shelf. The author’s signature silliness extends to his apps, which offer storytelling, drawing, and game options. His latest production is Pigeon Presents: Mo…on the Go! (Disney Publishing Worldwide Applications). In the “Pigeon’s Dream Drive” activity children must steer a bus through a maze of streets;  “Dance-o-Rama,” featuring Gerald and Piggie, asks users to choose three dances for each character to perform on a stage to the tune of disco music. Willems is the host of “Mo’s Squillems,” a drawing game, and appears in other activities as well—activities that our reviewer noted, encourage both “imaginative play and problem solving.”

The memorization of poetry has witnessed a resurgence with several recently published collections of poems to “learn by heart.“ Two apps, Orel Protopopescu’s The Word’s a Bird (Syntonie) and “Poetry by Heart,” (Inkle/Penguin Group USA) may inspire your students to do a little memorizing of their own. The first app, which includes four poems, lovely watercolor artwork, and amusing animation, is a tribute to spring for young listeners and readers. Poetry by Heart presents a fill-in-the blank format for secondary students. Readers add missing words to the poems, line by line. Attempts are scored (and mistakes are corrected) and endless opportunities to try again are provided as users learn the verses. Selections, which range from Edward Lear’s “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat”  to “Walt Whitman’s “O Captain!,” are labeled for level of difficulty. The free app comes with two poems and additional thematic four-poem “bundles” are available for purchase. Don’t miss the trailer for this one; it’s loads of fun and can be used to introduce the app to students.

Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse (Touch Press) is the story of a young man reunited with his beloved horse on the battlefields of World War I. The book was first published in 1982 and since then has seen many incarnations—novel, play, film, and now app. The app includes the full text, illustrated with watercolor art. As School Library Journal’s reviewer noted, “Touch Press developers are in tune with the  Common Core State Standards; the timeline connects readers to short, intriguing interviews, reproductions and maps, well-captioned archival photographs, and short informational text, much of which can be read aloud at the touch of an icon. ”Insight” videos showcase the author discussing different aspects of his book and the war, and experts offering details about soldiers’ uniforms, tanks, battlefields, German trenches, war songs, and more—all accompanied by visuals. From the home screen viewers can tap” Performance” to see the author stage an 80-minute, abridged version of the book with live music before an audience.”

Also from Touch Press is Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, an in-depth look at what many consider to be the  composer’s greatest work. The title includes four versions of the symphony (by four conductors) and each one can be listened to while reading the score, or watching an electric pin-light version that lights up the corresponding parts of the orchestral chart as various instruments come in and out. During all the performances, an informal, phrase-by-phrase analysis explains the music. In addition there are notes on  Beethoven’s life, the genesis of the Ninth Symphony, and “Insights” into the work “by some of the world’s finest musicians and scholars.” A trailer of the app is available.

Screen from ‘National Geographic Birds’

The perfect companion to a unit on birds or a field trip to the nature preserve? National Geographic Birds: Field Guide to North America (National Geographic/IXONOS). The app allows nature lovers to identify winged creatures, learn about their habits, and record sightings, all before they can say Ladder-backed Woodpecker. Like the print version of the guide (2006; Jon L. Dunn and Jonathan Alderfer, eds.), this production offers an overview of species on our continent, their appearance and behavior, as well as labeled color images and habitat and range maps. Users have the option to add notes and/or a photo and share the event. Viewers will be able to hear the caterwauling of a pair of Barred Owls, and the laugh of a Marbled Godwit, among hundreds of other sounds and songs. This last feature is one students are sure to sing about.

For the college bound, “Fiske Guides” have always been go-to resources. Two years ago they launched an interactive app with information on more than 300 colleges with options to add notes, email admissions offices, and more. The latest addition to their list is the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 Best Buys in higher education. While the sampler is limited—only 14 of the 41 “Best Buy” school are included— they represent a range of school locations, sizes, and majors. Included are photos, and data on enrollment, average test scores, and more.  Direct links to school websites are sure to become a favorite feature. The publisher plans to release additional college samplers this fall.

Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse, the story of a young man reunited with his beloved horse on the battlefields of World War I, was first published as a children’s book in 1982, later became  a play, and in 2011, was released as a film. It’s now an enhanced book. In the introduction to this version, the author states that while many of his stories seemed “alright for fiction” they’re “pretty impossible.” (16 million horses were called into service during the conflict.) But three or four years after War Horse was published, Morpurgo was handed a book titled Many a Summer, written by a journalist named Hardiman Scott. The book is a portrait of a Sussex farmer, who as a soldier in France, found his adored horse. Notes Morpurgo, “If you are writing on the cusp of reality, in the end what happens sometimes is that some of the reality comes true.”

Transforming a book into an app begins with a solid story and Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse (Egmont, 1982; Touch Press/Illuminations, $6.99; Gr 5-9) has all the necessary elements. Young Albert lies about his age, enlists, and searches all over the Great War battlefields of France until he finds his beloved horse, Joey, which had been sold to the military. Albert and Joey fight part of the the war together with the horse as the poignant narrator, puzzling over and accepting the brutality and senselessness of World War I.

Screen from ‘War Horse’ (Egmont) illus. by Francois Place

An attractive, clearly organized home screen provides multiple entry points into Joey’s story. Swiping on the numbered 3-D water color illustrations across the top of the page lets readers select a chapter to open. In both portrait and landscape the pages of text dotted with those lovely illustrations fade in at the top of the screen and fade out at the bottom as readers scroll down. It’s easy to adjust text size, screen brightness, move between chapters, and to switch Morpurgo’s home-spun voice reading of the text on or off. Clicking on the timeline link at the top right side of the screen opens a column of images and key words that can be tapped to provide information about the war concurrent with the section of the story.

Touch Press developers are in tune with the  Common Core State Standards; the timeline connects readers to short, intriguing interviews, reproductions and maps, well-captioned archival photographs, and short informational text, much of which can be read aloud at the touch of an icon. Readers can also access the timeline content through the home page, choosing to browse through it all or to organize it by themes.”Insight” videos showcase the author discussing different aspects of his book and the war, and experts offering details about soldiers’ uniforms, tanks, battlefields, German trenches, war songs, and more—all accompanied by visuals.

From the home screen viewers can tap” Performance” to see the author stage an 80-minute, abridged version of the book with live music before an audience. Navigation is intuitive and elegant, with all the aspects of the app working smoothly together. So much to like!−Chris Gustafson, Whitman Middle School Library Teacher, Seattle School District
 

For additional app reviews, visit SLJ’s Touch and Go webpage.

The Pigeon is back, and this time he’s joined by several other beloved Mo Willems characters in Pigeon Presents: Mo…on the Go! (Disney Publishing Worldwide Applications; $3.99 iOS; $2.99 Nook; PreS-Gr 1), an impressive app with a number of entertaining game options.

Child and adult narrators instruct users on how to operate the activities as upbeat piano music sets the playful tone. In the “Pigeon’s Dream Drive” children steer a bus driven by the Pigeon through a maze of streets. The object? To pick up ducklings without being caught by a mad cow. Honking horns, barking dogs, and quacking ducklings add to the fun.

“Dance-o-Rama,” featuring Gerald and Piggie, asks users to choose three dances for each character to perform on a stage to the tune of disco music. Leonardo the Terrible Monster hosts the “Monster Maker,” which requires swiping the screen to choose from an array of body parts to build a creature. Children can also create Knuffle Bunny-inspired pictures using the iPad camera. The sepia photos with stickers of characters from the book can then be saved or shared via email.

Willems makes cameo appearances in both the “Monster Maker” and “Dance-o- Rama” (where he shows off some fancy footwork), and he’s the host of the “Mo’s Squillems,” a drawing activity designed for one or two players. In that game, children create pictures based on a squiggly line provided on the page. Each visit brings a new line, offering endless possibilities.

Mo…on the Go! is more than just pure entertainment; it encourages imaginative play and problem solving. The variety of options, the focus on creativity, and Willems’s quirky humor will have young fans (and adults) returning again and again.—Cathy Potter, Falmouth Elementary School, Falmouth, ME

“The Teen Book Finder is a great resource for library workers, educators, parents, and teens to utilize to find award-winning books and recommended reading,” says Shannon Peterson, YALSA president. “We’re really happy it has received such a great response since our members work so hard and enthusiastically to identify the best in young adult literature.”

The app, available as a free download through iTunes, is currently compatible on the iPhone, iPod, or iPad, with an Android version in the works for 2014, according to YALSA, the young adult division of the American Library Association. It has already been downloaded approximately 6,000 times in 2013. The organization plans to update the app again in January, 2014, following ALA’s Midwinter Meeting and Youth Media Awards.

The Teen Book Finder enables users to search for books by title, author, award or list, award or list year, or genre, and its “Find It!” button, powered by the OCLC WorldCat Search API, shows users where to locate a book in a nearby library. Each day, “Three Hot Picks” are featured from the database. The “Favorites” button allows users to create individualized reading lists; users are also able to share titles found via Twitter and Facebook.

The development and launch of YALSA’s Teen Book Finder was made possible through a grant funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

What child can resist a book or app about animals? Incorporating vocabulary-rich texts and gentle environmental lessons, these apps will also find favor with teachers and parents. In a reverse publishing trend, A Troop Is a Group of Monkeys is scheduled for print publication in the fall of 2013.

Pastel watercolor art invites viewers into Julie Hedlund’s A Shiver of Sharks and its companion, A Troop is a Group of Monkeys (Little Bahalia Publishing; PreS-Gr 3). From descriptions of a flamboyance of flamingos to a caravan of camels, the apps are designed to teach collective nouns. In both productions illustrations by Pamela Baron, jaunty music by Tim McCanna, and a variety of background sounds enliven the rhyming texts.

“Read to me” and “Read by myself” options are available with the music on or off. McCanna’s clear narration and enuciation of what may be unfamiliar terms for children will have them conversing with ease about about an ostentation (of peacocks) and an escargatoire (of snails). Each animal is animated and responds with text-based actions when touched. For example, in Shiver,  “A screech of gulls snatches” picnic foods and “A bale of sea turtles lays eggs on the shore.” In Troop, the surfeit of skunks is sure to please the app’s audience with their “stinky, foul fumes” and accompanying sounds. Story progression and some sound effects require a swipe of the screen. Navigation and page selection is available from a tab accessible on each page.

Children are encouraged to “help keep the ocean clean” in Shiver by dragging detritus into a garbage pail on the final page. In both apps, reading strategies and discussion questions can be found behind the “Parents & Teachers” tabs on the title screens. Strategies and questions are included for each animal group, and a lists of the Common Core standards and Bloom’s Taxonomy  objectives addressed are provided.

Both apps feature delightful, interactive pages and Baron’s frame-worthy illustrations are a delight. Children will enjoy finding a fish in a pelican’s mouth and helping a sleuth of bears scatter bees near a hive. Vocabulary-rich texts (“scuttles,” “pandemonium,” “plucks,” “vibrant,” “ambushes,” “scours,” “retracts”); quality illustrations; lively tunes; and an environmental message, should make these popular choices inside and outside the classroom. A trailer for Troop is available.—Morgan Doane, Kent District Library, East Grand Rapids, MI

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Touch Press/Deutsche Grammophon. 2013. iOS, requires 6.0 for the Free (Lite) or iPad $13.99 versions 1.0.1. Compatible with the iPhone 4 or above, optimized for iPhone 5. $7.99.
Gr 7 Up−When considering Beethoven’s 9th Symphony you’ll be tempted to go for the free app, but don’t do it; it’s the best kind of worst tease. Instead, purchase the full version, but you’ll need to decide: iPhone or iPad app? Don’t skimp. The phone app has all the music of the iPad app, but lacks the commentaries of the experts. Your last consideration will be the listening options; the app states, “BEST WITH HEADPHONES.” Trust me, it is.

The production’s home page streams the “Ode to Joy,” and although you sense you will be humming it all night, don’t resist. Once you begin to explore the symphony, you won’t be able to stop. There are four performances each with a different conductor: Ferenc Fricsay, Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, and Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Each concert piece can be listened to while reading either the full synchronized score or a replica of Beethoven’s handwritten score (amazing), or watching an electric pin-light version that lights up the corresponding parts of the orchestral seating chart as various instruments come in and out. Bernstein’s performance also includes a video of the maestro conducting the symphony with the Wiener Philharmoniker in 1979.

During all the pieces, a phrase-by-phrase analysis by David Owen Norris explains the music in an endearing, informal manner. For example, midway through the first movement he writes, “Those opening sparks of rhythm have caught fire, and in their light we can see we’re back at the beginning….” Norris also contributed the historical analysis that offers background on Beethoven’s life, including his descent into deafness and the genesis of the Ninth Symphony.

Finally (and really, this shouldn’t come last), there are the “Insights” by some of the world’s finest musicians and scholars. Don’t skip this section. Start with Suzy Klein, who makes the Ninth Symphony accessible and drops in some humor along the way. Conductor Gustavo Dudamel helps explain Beethoven’s status as a universal symbol of music, and pianist Alice Sara Ott shares why the “Ode to Joy” is the basis of hope, optimism, and human rights, and discusses why music is a unique language that can unite people with idealism. Without hesitation, an app for all collections.−Pamela Schembri, Newburgh Enlarged City Schools, NY

Over in the Jungle. Marianne Berkes. Dawn Publications. 2013/2012. illus. by Jeanette Canyon. iOS, requires 4.2 or later; $4.99. iBooks, 1.3 or later. $6.99.
PreS-K−Sung to the tune of the classic children’s counting song, this app, based on Berkes’s picture book of the same title (2007), is sure to become a favorite of the preschool crowd. In addition to the rainforest setting, this version features outstanding design, vibrant art, realistic sound effects, a supplemental nonfiction text, and a challenging game.

Each page of the rhyming text introduces a jungle animal and a number of offspring from one to ten. Ocelots, honey bears, howler monkeys, leaf cutter ants, and other rainforest animals make an appearance, offering children an opportunity to learn about creatures they may not have encountered before. Taps, swipes, and jiggles to the screen trigger movements and/or additional sound effects.Users can choose to read the story themselves, have it read to them, or listen to it sung. As the words are voiced, the text is highlighted. Those choosing to listen to the song will be treated to the catchy tune that retains the narration’s expressiveness. A touch to the arrow that appears on every page will allow children to hear the text (or song) repeated.

At the end of the story, viewers are invited to find the 55 offspring depicted populating one final, colorful jungle scene. An icon in the shape of a leaf brings users to a menu page from which they can access animal facts and photos; author, illustrator, and publisher information; and other apps by the developer.Over in the Jungle is a feast for the senses. From the authentic background sounds to the deftly crafted polymer clay animals of the images, each page is a delight. This app is perfect for sharing one-on-one or in a storyhour.−Cindy Wall, Southington Library, CT

As a follow up to Lauren Barack’s article in the July issue of School Library Journal, “The Early Bird: How Sesame Workshop Is Adapting Its Revolutionary Educational Content for Devices,” we’ve created a list of our favorite apps for ages two to six. You may recognize some of the titles from our “Top Ten Apps” of 2011 and 2012, but you’ll also discover a few new and enchanting productions as well. These selections, primarily story apps, exhibit a range of animation and interactivity, and will serve as a starter collection for parents looking for quality, sure-to-please titles for their youngsters. Links lead to full reviews, purchase information, and occasionally, a trailer. For additional reviews, be sure to visit SLJ’s Touch and Go: A Guide To the Best Apps and Enhanced Books for Children and Teens.

What sets Pat the Bunny (Random/Smashing Ideas Inc.) apart from the avalanche of apps for young children? Its engaging, age-appropriate interactivity. The app’s inspired, nonlinear take on Dorothy Kunhardt’s beloved classic features verbal prompts and praises, jaunty music, and a variety of activities that complement rather than compete with the original print edition. There are also nifty novelties, such as a mirror that viewers can see themselves in.

For those who think apps are all about interactivity, Emma Loves Pink (by Piret Raud/WingedChariot) is a reminder that for many fans of digital it’s all about the story. Most children have met someone like Emma—someone who wishes “everything could be pink.” On her birthday, the likeable hare receives a gift from her friend Ferdinand. What could be in that round package, wrapped in pink tissue, and tied with a pink bow? This utterly irresistible production is available in three languages.

Screen from Spot the Dot’ (Carter)

David A. Carter’s ingeniously simple game Spot the Dot (Ruckus Mobile Media/Unicorn Labs) embodies the medium’s potential to create entertaining educational materials for all children, including those with special needs. Players are guided as they search for colorful dots, each attempt a bit more difficult than the last. Prompts, encouragements (“Good job!”), and new challenges each time the game is played ensure many repeat visits.

Offering lots of game play and interactivity, Mo Willems’s Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive This App  (Hyperion/Small Planet Digital) will have viewers participating in the narrative through a feature that allows them to record their voices as they fill in story blanks; to draw a pigeon, assisted by step-by-step instructions by the master himself; and to store said stories and “priceless” works of art. Look for more high-octane fun in Pigeon Presents: Mo…on the Go!.

If you aren’t yet convinced that Moonbot Studios’ creative team, producers of the Academy Award-winning, animated film The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (later an app) is pure genius, take a look at The Numberlys, an app inspired by Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis. In The Numberlys‘ grey futuristic world, letters don’t exist—until five roly-poly factory workers sporting puffball hairdos hammer, bend, and forge their way through the alphabet with the help of viewers. As the narrator says, at first the laborers’ efforts were “awful. Then at last… artful.” Indeed.

Scene from”Sunday in Kyoto’ (Vigneault) The Secret Mountain

Based on a folk song by Gilles Vigneault, Sunday in Kyoto (Les Productions Folle Avoine/The Secret Mountain) tells the story of an ensemble of musicians (who play koto, guitar, piano, shamisen, bouzouki, banjo, and harp) that was organized by one Cajun Joe. Amusing details, subtle animations, a toe-tapping tune, and a few Zen-like moments (including a bronze Buddha that claps and a discreet mouse that emerges for a bow at a concert’s finale) make this performance absolutely irresistible.

Sesame Street’s The Monster at the End of This Book…Starring Grover! topped the app store charts right out of the gate, and continues to be a favorite among kids and their parents. Featuring the same irresistible brand of humor and engagement, The Great Cookie Thief…A Sesame Street App Starring Cookie Monster (Sesame Workshop/Callaway Digital Arts) asks children to use their observational skills to help solve a mystery in the Wild West. Alternate endings, animations, art opportunities, and laughs abound.

Thomas Wharton’s Hildegard Sings (One Hundred Robots) is an ideal book-to-app. Hildegard, a flamboyant hippo, works as a singing waitress, but dreams of becoming an opera star. When she croons off-key, listeners experience it firsthand. Add to that flashes of melodramatic lightning, orchestra music, amusing interactive features, and a few games, and you have a flat-out funny, immensely entertaining theatrical production that hits all the right notes. Hippo hippo hooray!

Ed Emberly’s Go Away, Big Green Monster!  (Night & Day Studios) has long been a favorite of children looking for a thrill without the fright. In the print version (Little, Brown, 1992), Big Green Monster’s features appear one by one (“two big yellow eyes,” “a long bluish-greenish nose”) as the glossy black die-cut pages are turned. In the app, it’s the same face and vivid colors against a black screen, advanced by a swipe. Animation is minimal but delightful: eyes that dart, a mouth that moves, and a face that reacts to viewers’ touches. Don’t miss the “Sing Along” version by Adrian Carney—it’s a  show-stopper. Go Away? No way. This is a gem.

Both educational and entertaining, Barry Tranter and Emma Tranter’s Franklin Frog and Parker Penguin (both Nosy Crow, “Rounds” series) takes readers and listeners on interactive, animated introductions to the habits and life cycle of familiar creatures. Hibernation is on the mind of Franklin, as the seasons begin to change (and viewers help him find a spot to spend the winter). In Parker, children follow the bird through various stages of his development. In both apps, verbal and visual prompts encourage children to advance the story and life cycle full circle as the offspring of these animals become the focus. Crisp  illustrations, amusing interactivity, and background music and sound effects add to the enjoyment.

With a number of hardcovers and board books tracking her adventures, it’s clear that David Soman and Jacky Davis’s Ladybug Girl (Trilogy Touch) has a fan base. In this story, based on the book of the same title (Dial, 2008), Lulu and her dog, Bingo, venture outdoors to “figure out” their own fun time. The pace, and narration capture the feel lazy summer day as the two meander through a meadow to the sounds of Bingo’s snuffling, birds singing, and a neighborhood ball game in progress, while interactive opportunities are waiting to be discovered.

Beatrix Potter’s stories never grow old; each generation discovers and cherishes them anew. The story of the mischievous rabbit chased by Mr. McGregor is a classic, and its digital version, Pop Out! The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Loud Crow Interactive), is guaranteed to charm children as well. Like many well-designed apps, it will send kids looking for a print edition of the story to hold and to pore over the pictures. Peter Rabbit is just one in a series of Pop Out! Potter stories; The Tale of Benjamin Bunny  and The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin are also available; all feature some nifty spring-loaded enhancements, pull tabs, and animation.

Ready for something silly and satisfying? Nosy Crow’s Cinderella: A 3-D Fairy Tale  puts a fresh, modern spin on the classic slipper story. The app features animated scenes and reader-controlled text speed. And if it’s interactivity you’re looking for, this one can’t be beat. The story’s hilarious finale, featuring the ping-pong-playing newlyweds, is bound to make viewers press the “Start Over” button for one more round.  The same developer has recently released the equally enchanting Little Red Riding Hood.

For all those kids fascinated with vessels, vehicles, and aircraft there’s Byron Barton’s Boats, Planes, Trucks,  and Trains (Oceanhouse Media). Navigation and interactivity are simple in each app, but satisfying; youngsters can move a forklift as it loads a ship, advance a parade of heavy machinery, or send an airplane across the sky. Emergent readers will appreciate the ability to to tap an image and read its label as it appears. Sound effects—the rumble of a truck, vroom of a plane, the moo of a cow, and background conversations—enhance the productions. Barton’s bright, bold graphics are faithfully reproduced here.

Sandra Boynton’ s The Going to Bed Book was first published in 1982 and since then its soothing rhyme has lulled many youngsters to sleep. In the story, a ark of cheerful animals proceed through their evening ritual; in the app (Boynton Moo Media/Loud Crow Interactive, Inc.), viewers help them along by hanging up towels, opening drawers, and turning on the hot water to wash up. Tilting the iPad rocks the boat, and tapping screens causes fish to jump, characters to climb stairs, a porthole to close, and text words to be repeated. One listening of Billy J. Kramer’s sonorous, evenly paced narration, may not be enough.

Accessible and playful, Orel Protopopescu’s A Word’s a Bird: Spring Flies by in Rhymes (Syntonie), introduces children to some seasonal delights of the natural world through lyrical language and watercolors by Jeanne B. de Sainte Marie. Viewers will catch a glimpse of ducks swimming on pond, bees a-buzzing, an inchworm creeping along a branch, and a cardinal hopping from screen to screen as the verse for each spring month is listened to or read. Surprises await those who explore these delightful, verdant scenes.

Like many educational apps, How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills (Random House Digital), based on the book by the same title (Schwartz & Wade Books, 2010), includes activities for pre- and emergent readers. The difference? These activities and message in this delightful story are one and the same. There are game-like lessons on the “wondrous, mighty, gorgeous” alphabet (that vary each time the app is viewed) and a few three-letter sight words to learn as Rocket, our reluctant canine reader, comes to realize that stories can be “as delicious as the earthy smells of fall.”

Learning to code is a popular topic in educational circles these days. For good reason. When young people code their own apps, games, stories, or websites they have a chance to think critically, troubleshoot, problem solve, and collaborate. It’s a way to create something real that can be seen and used by lots of different people.

Of course, not all teachers or library staff are proficient coders. But, we don’t have to be. There are several apps and Web-based tools that make it possible to learn, with kids, the basics of coding. These also give young people the chance to try things out on their own and even teach adults how to create with code.

The below screencast provides an overview of Daisy the Dinosaur and Hopscotch, two free iPad apps that take a similar building block approach to learning to code. Daisy is for the youngest coders, early elementary age, and Hopscotch is just right for upper elementary age kids.  With each app, children use code to move characters around the screen. Hopscotch offers more characters to move, a greater range of movements, and more options for customization.

Daisy the Dinosaur and Hopscotch are far from the only two options available to help get kids and teens coding. Tynker and Scratch are two Web-based tools. As you’ll see in this screencast (below), Tynker is designed for those who want to develop coding projects and lessons for youth. What’s great about the platform is that you can have kids and teens develop their own coding projects and use Tynker to teach others how to accomplish various coding feats.

Scratch is already a popular learn-to-code software used in libraries and schools. In May MIT, the producer of Scratch, launched a Web-based version of the program. It’s just as good its software counterpart. Given the tools available online and the large educator and youth Scratch community already in place, it’s well worth checking out.

Interior screen from ‘National Geographic Birds: Field Guide to North America’

No longer must fledgling birders juggle a field guide, a journal, and a pen—all they need to do is download the National Geographic Birds: Field Guide to North America (National Geographic/IXONOS $9.99; Gr 4 Up) onto an iPad or iPhone, and voilà, they’re ready to go. The app, like the print version of the guide (2006; Jon L. Dunn and Jonathan Alderfer, eds.), offers an overview of species on our continent (995 here), their appearance and behavior, as well as labeled color images and habitat and range maps. Giving each animal a voice is one of the features listeners are sure to sing about. They’ll be able to hear the caterwauling of a pair of Barred Owls, the warble of a Hermit Thrush, and the laugh of a Marbled Godwit, among hundreds of other sounds and songs.

When opening the app for the first time, a quick tutorial appears, offering readers everything they need to know to get started. On the trail, users can sort the creatures by name, family, taxonomy, color, size, habitat, month, region, and abundance. Once a bird is spotted and identified, the journal feature allows users to document the sighting, automatically identifying the location, time, date, and weather. Users have the option to add notes and/or a photo and share the event. They can also create their own lists of feathered animals to remember or can follow one of National Geographic’s lists, such as the “Birder’s Wish List” or “Favorite Backyard Birds.”

There are quizzes of various levels to take, more than two dozen up-to-date news articles about various species to read, and a toolkit that includes a glossary, information on gear and “birding ethics,” and 16 short videos. Whether visiting a park, forest, meadow, the shore, or just sitting in their backyard watching winged wildlife, viewers are sure to appreciate this extraordinary guide.—Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Jefferson, LA

Lately there has been renewed interest in the memorization of poetry with the publication of books such as Caroline Kennedy’s Poems to Learn by Heart (Disney Press, 2013) and Mary Ann Hoberman’s Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart (Little, Brown, 2012). And, while memorization is not required, some sites such as the Poetry Foundation’s, welcome people to record and share a poem.

For those with an iOS device, there are two new productions featuring verse that can’t be missed. The first challenges listeners to learn the selections (with recording options), while the second will have them returning again and again to the featured poems, learning them in the process. Whether introducing poetry to children and teens inside or outside the classroom, we hope you and your students will discover as our reviewer Chris Gustafson did, that, “The game of poetry is unexpectedly satisfying.”

The stickiness of Poems by Heart (Inkle/Penguin Group USA; Free, $.99 per additional add-on bundle; Gr 7 Up) isn’t in the modest selection of well-known poems, or the serviceable male and female narrators who will read them aloud to you.  It’s not the pleasant design or the intuitive navigation.  It’s the surprising realization that you want to memorize poetry!  Tap the tempting blinking triangle labeled “Learn this” and you find yourself choosing words from a box to fill in the missing words of the poem, line by line. Your mistakes will be instantly corrected and you’ll get a score for your progress stanza by stanza.  Want to try again?  You can, you’ll do better, and you’ll get a higher score. Soon, you’ll know the poem by heart, and you can record yourself reciting the poem you memorized.

The free app comes with two poems, and additional thematic four-poem “bundles” (adventures, romantic, Elizabethan, odes, love. Gothic tales, early innovations) are available for purchase. Each poem is labeled for level of difficulty. Selections range from Edward Lear’s “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” and Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” to Walt Whitman’s “O Captain! My Captain!” and Emily Dickinson’s “This is my Letter to the World.” The game of poetry is unexpectedly satisfying. —Chris Gustafson, Whitman Middle School Library Teacher, Seattle School District, WA.

Eds. note: Be sure to watch this video about Poems by Heart.

Interior image from ‘A Word’s a Bird’ (Protopopescu) Illus. by Jeanne B. de Sainte Marie

Have you ever lamented the fact that insightful yet accessible poems for children are hard to come by? If yes, then A Word’s a Bird: Spring Flies by in Rhymes (Syntonie, $2.99; PreS-Gr 4), may just be the app for you. Written by award-winning author/poet, Orel Protopopescu, this four-poem collection introduces children to the power of language by encouraging them to explore metaphors through sight, sound, and touch.

The first selection illuminates the collection’s title. The three poems that follow offer unusual, and playful, glimpses into the natural world during the spring months. “May,” for example, opens with a text scroll descending toward a cardinal pecking in a meadow. The words, “A bloom’s a room/you seek/when you want/to sneak a peek/at nectar sippers,” are highlighted, one by one, as they are read aloud. Both English and French narrations are available. A tap to a scroll and the verse replays, while a touch to an underlined word brings forth a definition. For “May,” readers and listeners learn that “nectar sippers” refers to insects and “a bloom” is “another way to say a flower.” Clearing the scroll from the screen brings the scene to life through animation and interactivity. In this case, the cardinal flies to a garden of closed peonies, an inchworm creeps out from under a leaf and retreats when spotted by the bird, and the “blooms” open to “rooms” and reveal “nectar sipper” bees hiding inside. So clever!

The hand-painted watercolor illustrations lovingly created by Jeanne B. de Sainte Marie portray a bright and idyllic world of duck ponds, lily pads, and weeping willows. Realistic sounds of insects, frogs, and even snoring bees abound. Hidden surprises include “shoot flutes” that can be tapped to play notes and sails that can be touched to summon up the wind. Navigation, primarily pulls, pushes, taps and swipes, is highly intuitive. A delightful (and informative) short video on the creation of the app and the illustrations plays against a jazzy tune.—Kathleen S. Wilson, NYU/Tisch School of the Arts, New York, NY

For additional app reviews, visit SLJ’s Touch and Go webpage.

For the college bound, the “Fiske College Guides” have always been go-to resources. Along with information on hundreds of academic institutions, the books offer to-do lists for a successful college search and tips on writing admission essays and taking the SAT. Two years ago they launched an interactive guide with entries on 300-plus colleges with options to add notes, email admissions offices, and more. The latest addition to their list is an ebook sampler to some of the “best buys” in higher education. Four more similar enhanced guides will follow.

The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 Best Buys enhanced ebook (iBook, $4.99, available on a variety of devices; Gr 9 Up) occupies an awkward place in between the Guide’s 2014 print version (released July 2, 2013) and its interactive app.

While the ebook provides the same clear, helpful reviews and ratings of schools that all Fiske products do, only 14 of the 41 “Best Buy” schools are included in this sneak peek of the print book, which is only hinted at in the ebook’s description. The schools are chosen to represent a variety of locations, majors, and sizes, but such a small list is limited in its usefulness.

The text descriptions of schools are accompanied by color photos of campuses and infographics relating data such as gender balance, average test scores, academic and social ratings, and enrollment, and strongest programs. Unfortunately, the graphics are not optimized for retina display, making them difficult to read. The ebook offers keyword search and links to school websites (a benefit over the print book), but not the more full-fledged search across multiple criteria or the ability to add schools to lists available in the app.

Students and parents who are unsure if they want to purchase the book or the app may find this enhanced ebook a way to sample Fiske’s style of description and ranking, but those on a dedicated college search aren’t likely to  be satisfied with this small sampling. Overall, those preparing for college would be better served by either the print book or the full-featured app.—Gretchen Kolderup, New York Public Library

For additional app reviews, visit our Touch and Go webpage.

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced its inaugural list of the Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. Revealed Jun 30 at the American Library Association annual conference, the 25 selected apps cover a broad range of subjects, inspire curriculum connections, and can be used with multiple grades. While chosen with school librarians and classroom instruction in mind, these apps can also be adapted for use in public library programming.

The Best Apps for Teaching and Learning Taskforce, chaired by Melissa Jacobs-Israel, developed a set of criteria based on the Standards for the 21st-Century Learner and selected apps in five distinct categories: books, STEM, organization and management, social sciences, and content creation.

The committee considered whether the apps were well designed, user-friendly, and filled with pop-up ads or other unnecessary distractions. According to the committee, the winning apps encourage deep inquiry, critical thinking skills, and engaging learning experiences. The result is a well-rounded list that will be very useful for teachers and librarians, particularly those new to the world of integrating apps into classrooms and programs.

The list included a few of my own tried and true favorites like Toontastic (a fun and funny content creation app for elementary students) and Evernote (as one committee member noted, “I run my life on Evernote”). There were a few surprises as well. The following are apps that looked so exciting that I downloaded them as they were announced by the selection committee:

Shakespeare in Bits—Hamlet: Where was this when I was in ninth grade? Full-cast narration, animated scenes and character webs help students visualize and further explore the Bard’s famous creation. The original play can also be purchased in-app.

Tinkerbox: This is what great STEM apps can be. Combining engineering, puzzles, and design, children are encouraged to problem solve, apply new skills, and use their imaginations. They can invent crazy machines and share them with friends or with the app developer.

Videolicious: There are a ton of video creation apps, but very few are simple enough for most kids to use successfully and powerful enough to produce high-quality creations. This one hits both marks. Kids can choose photo or video content already saved on their device, record a narration, and select a copyright-free song from the in-app library.

Kiera Parrott is head of children’s services at Darien Library, CT, and a blogger for ALSC.

When considering Ludwig Van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (Touch Press / Deutsche Grammopon), you’ll be tempted to go for the free app, but don’t do it; it’s the best kind of worst tease. Instead, purchase the full version, but you’ll need to decide: phone app ($7.99) or iPad app ($13.99)? Don’t skimp. The phone app has all the music of the iPad app, but lacks the commentaries of the experts. Your last consideration will be the listening options; the app states, “BEST WITH HEADPHONES.” Trust me, it is.

The home page of Beethoven’s 9th streams the Ode to Joy, and although you sense you will be humming it all night, you can’t resist. You have to experience it, much like the Small World ride at Disney. Once you begin to explore the symphony, you won’t want to stop. There are four versions and four conductors: Ferenc Fricsay, Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, and Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Each one can be listened to while reading either the full synchronized score or a replica of Beethoven’s handwritten score (amazing), or watching an electric pin-light version that lights up the corresponding parts of the orchestral chart as various instruments come in and out. Bernstein’s version also includes a video of him conducting the symphony with the Wiener Philharmoniker in 1979.

During all the performances, a phrase-by-phrase analysis by David Owen Norris explains the music, in an endearing, informal manner. For example, midway through the first movement he writes, “Those opening sparks of rhythm have caught fire, and in their light we can see we’re back at the beginning….” Norris also wrote the historical analysis that examines Beethoven’s life, including his descent into deafness and the genesis of the Ninth Symphony.

Finally (and really, this shouldn’t come last) are the “Insights” by some of the world’s finest musicians and scholars. Don’t skip this section. Start with Suzy Klein, who makes the Ninth Symphony accessible and drops some humor along the way. Conductor Gustavo Dudamel helps explain Beethoven as a universal symbol of music, and pianist Alice Sara Ott shares why the Ode to Joy is the basis of hope, optimism, and human rights, and how music is a unique language that can unite people with idealism. Without hesitation, an app for all collections.−Pamela Schembri, Newburgh Enlarged City Schools, Newburgh, NY

For additional app reviews, visit our Touch and Go webpage.

June 24 marked the debut of Graphite, a  free, online guide to digital learning products compiled by and for educators. Created by Common Sense Media, a national nonprofit, the new resource reviews and rates digital products, including apps, games, websites, and digital curricula for K–12.

Introduced June 24, during the annual ISTE (International Society for Technology and Education) conference in San Antonio, TX, Graphite supplements Common Sense Media’s existing resources for educators, many devoted to digital literacy.

Graphite’s editorial team evaluates each product using a rating system “developed by a team of experts in education and child development,” according to a press release. Users of the site can search concurrently within four categories: product type (apps, console and PC games, websites); subject (language and reading, math, science, social studies, art, and hobbies); grade (Pre-K to 12); and price (free, free to try, or paid). Products can also be mapped to the Common Core and other standards.

Educators can contribute their own feedback on the site, including field notes about how they use each product and what works best with their students.

What comes up is a mix of product “Reviews,” “Field Notes,” and “Top Picks” for any tailored search.

The reviews include basic product information along with a guide to the skills supported by a particular product (thinking and reasoning; logic; self-direction, etc.). But the main features, and what people may well turn to Graphite for, are the reviews’ rigorous “learning rating” and “teacher rating” for every product.

The learning rating, compiled by Graphite’s team, indicates the overall learning potential of a product as well as three individual ratings for student engagement, pedagogy, and support for those using the product.

The teacher rating is an educators’ evaluation of a product along with descriptive pros and cons. Graphite provides a detailed explanation of its rating and reviewing system here. 

Field Notes, written largely by Graphite-certified educators (“volunteers selected from a highly competitive pool of educator applicants,” according to the site) are user evaluations along with best-practice tips for classroom use.

Top Picks is pretty self explanatory: from a sample perusal, it’s a list of about six to eight top selections within any search combination.

Graphite is geared as a time saver for the 54 percent of tech-invested educators who spend an hour or more each week researching ed tech products, a statistic from a recent Common Sense Media poll conducted by Harris Interactive.

While 89 percent of teachers think educational technology helps students, only 18 percent use subject-specific content tools weekly; 30 percent use reference tools; 25 percent use teacher tools; and 14 percent use digital curricula, the survey found.

Funding for Graphite included support from the Susan Crown Exchange and a personal investment from Bill Gates, according to a press release. “There really is no limit to what teachers can do if they have the right resources,” Gates stated in the release. “A decade from now, finding and using the best content and technology will be as natural as opening a book. Graphite promises to be a big step in this direction.”

Two new apps for young tablet users offer some terrific art, but may not reward repeated visits. 

Interior scene from ‘Moomin and the Lost Belongings’ (Spinfly/WSOY) Riina and Sami Kaarla

In Moomin and the Lost Belongings (Spinfy/WSOY, $1.99; PreS-Gr 1), the second app based on the stories by Tove Jansson, Moomin and his friends appear in different outdoor settings, each Moomin having lost a cherished object. The goal is for viewers to reunite the creatures with the sought-after belongings.

Unlike its predecessor, The Book About Moomin, Mymble and Little My, which strongly related to the picture books, this app is purely activity based. There is scant narrative besides the few lines describing the lost item and an invitation for readers to find it.

A simple introductory page adds a layer of independent usability for new readers. As Moomin ambles across the screen, viewers are offered directions to help the cat find the milk bowl hidden under one of three buckets. When the bowl is revealed, dotted lines and an arrow clearly demonstrate how to drag the bowl over to the cat. More dotted lines appear midway down the screen showing how to swipe the page from right to left. Each successive scene follows the same pattern of dragging and swiping.

Interactive options include choosing to hide the text by tapping a “T” symbol, and whether to “Read It Myself” or “Read to Me.” Numerous hidden animations add to the fun. Touch the rocks and hedgehogs scurry out. Tap the treetops and a cat leaps from tree to tree. The illustrations by Riina and Sami Kaarla are true to the original colors and illustration of the printed books. Lilting background music, animal sounds and the rich tones of Glyn Banks’s voice-over add depth.

This is a straightforward app with few bells and whistles. The repetitive directions for each scene make it a good choice for introducing young children to tablet technology. However, only the most ardent of Moomin fans will discover any lasting appeal.−Deborah Cooper, MLIS student, San Jose State University

On opening Deborah Underwood’s winsome Spatter and Spark (Polk Street Press, Free; PreS-K) viewers are introduced to Spatter, an artistic porcupine sporting a jaunty beret. The critter is attempting to paint a baby crow named Hubert; sadly, the little bird is too frightened to fly out of his nest, let alone pose for a portrait. Spatter decides to seek assistance from Spark, a resourceful (and aptly named) fox. Together they devise and test out several contraptions in the hopes of sneaking a peek at Hubert. Luciana Navarro Powell’s mixed media illustrations are a visual treat and mesh well with Underwood’s whimsical tale. Given her perspicacity, Spark is a particularly empowering character.

Unfortunately, the app’s interactivity is slow, far from imaginative, and at times bogs down the momentum of the story. Confusingly, users must constantly tap the characters for additional dialogue that lacks text for following along.

Spatter and Spark’s shortcomings are slightly balanced by the standout art and professional-quality narration. The “Activities” menu button will definitely pique users’ interest, but it’s ultimately misleading since those are additional in-app purchases.−Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, Escondido, CA

For additional app reviews, visit SLJ’s Touch and Go web page.

A classic fairy tale receives an invigorating update in Nosy Crow’s splendid Little Red Riding Hood. ($5.99; PreS-Gr 4). While the narrative remains the same—a little girl must avoid falling into the clutches of the Big Bad Wolf and save her grandparent—the reading experience is amplified by seamless interactivity and nonlinear storytelling.

As Little Red Riding Hood journeys through the woods, readers can choose from multiple routes to get her to Grandma’s house. Each path contains an interactive game or activity that requires readers to assist the girl as she gathers items that ultimately help her send the wolf on his way. Game play is wonderfully immersive; for instance, viewers can blow into the iPad’s microphone to disperse dandelions or tilt the screen to move a spider along its web.

The Big Bad Wolf confronts Little Red Riding Hood (Nosy Crow) Ed Byron

In the independent reading mode, children can manage the length of time the text appears on screen, while in the “Read and Play” option, words are highlighted as they are voiced. Tapping pale blue touch points triggers additional dialogue and information. A pull-down ribbon graphic reveals a map, outlining all the roads to Grandma’s house. Curious readers may skip parts of the story and proceed directly to a particular game or activity by touching its location on the map.

Gorgeous illustrations in vibrant hues, along with a zoom feature that allows readers to explore scenes in detail, add depth and quality. As with previous Nosy Crow productions, the winsome narration by British child actors is thoroughly enchanting. With a touch of modernity, Little Red Riding Hood’s vermilion cape is now a practical hoodie, and the wolf sports a jaunty newsboy cap and snazzy plaid pants that belie his razor-sharp intentions. With broad appeal for a range of ages, this is a must-have production. If you don’t have app collection at your library, Little Red Riding Hood might be the motivation to start one.—Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, Escondido, CA

Eds. note: A trailer of Little Red Riding Hood is available for viewing at the Nosy Crow website.

For additional app reviews, visit our Touch and Go webpage.

BBC Earth Wonders.BBC Worldwide LTD. 2013. iOS, requires 5.0 or later. Version 1.0. $3.99.
Gr 2 Up–Earth Wonders offers a collection of images showcasing the fierce and fascinating beauty of our natural world, including rare animals, plants, and natural phenomena. As such, it supports science research, though the brevity of the text may make it a supplemental resource. The app’s real standouts are the hundreds of high-quality photos and numerous videos that bring information to life in a way that text cannot. These can be accessed alphabetically, or by theme, or by tapping a globe.

Providing glimpses into the incredible and often dangerous facets of nature, the videos are sometimes grisly; sensitive viewers may be disturbed by a pack of lions hunting and devouring an elephant. Then again, what child can resist seeing a Venus fly trap capture its prey? Other videos are sheer awe and beauty, such as the time-lapse scenes of the aurora borealis. Users may be put off by the somewhat clumsy interface and the prominent link to purchase the BBC’s Planet Earth television series after each video, but kids will love navigating via the spinning globe. Overall, a welcome resource for those with a keen eye for nature.–Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA

Fire Station. $2.99
Firefighter Dress-Up. $0.99.
ea vol: JumpSeeWow, Inc. 2012. iOS, requires 5.0 or later. Version 1.0.
PreS-Gr 2-Do your students and know the difference between a fire truck and a fire engine? In Fire Station, Clover the Rabbit takes kids through a cheery animated town where 10 documentary videos on the firehouse and firefighters’ equipment are embedded. Intuitive picture cues are tapped to launch the short films, which range in length from one to five minutes.

The narrated video clips include tours of the two aforementioned vehicles and the station. They star actual firefighters who describe their daily tasks, point out and name the different parts and functions of their vehicles, and demonstrate how they operate. (Two of the videos are available for preview at the Jump SeeWow site.) Children can easily navigate the app, swiping across screens to move through scenes. A few of the images around town are also interactive, but there are no cues pointing to the interactions. One video is of baguette making at the bakery, which may not interest children invested in the firefighter theme.

The app would work well in a preschool or early elementary setting as part of a unit on community workers, and is sure to appeal to children who can’t get enough information on the subject of firefighters. Firefighter Dress-Up is a related app with the same cartoon characters available to color and dress. There’s no text and the interface is clumsy. The clothing doesn’t snap into place easily and users must exit the app to clear the picture. Stick with Fire Station; young enthusiasts will find much to revisit in that production.–Shelley Harris, Oak Park Public Library, IL

Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion. Loree Griffin Burns. 2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. iBooks 3.0 or later; iOS, requires 5.1 or later. Version 1.0. $ 9.99.
Gr 4-9–“There is a lot more trash out there than I expected.” This was the observation of a marine pollution researcher after his first flights over the Eastern Garbage Patch, an area of the Pacific Ocean where currents converge to create a floating landfill the size of Alaska. The vivid images, clear descriptions, videos, and animated diagrams in the iBook edition of will no doubt bring readers to the same realization. The title, one in the “Scientists in the Field” series (HMH, 2007) follows the efforts of Curt Ebbesmeyer and other scientists whose work studying ocean currents included tracking the routes of “roughly 80,000 sneakers” and 28,800 plastic tub toys adrift in the Pacific Ocean after two (separate) cargo spills, and referred to as “the largest and (cheapest) ocean drift experiment ever undertaken.”

The ebook has been enhanced with age-appropriate video content—one or two short multimedia components per chapter, including a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) animation of ocean currents that is both soothing and dizzying at the same time. The news is not all bad, though—readers also learn about scientists and conservationists who use techniques as basic as beachcombing and as advanced as satellite tracking to identify and clean up our oceans. Tracking Trash inspires further research and individual commitment to the environment, and with links to relevant websites and ongoing projects accessible from the tablet, the creators of the app have made it easy for students pursue their interests. Bonus: unlike the print version, the ebook edition isn’t made out of a tree and won’t end up in a landfill.–Paula Wiley, Pink Me