Rounds: Parker Penguin

PreS-Gr 2—In this engaging app, a gregarious emperor penguin cheerily relates salient facts about his species and Antarctica. Readers first encounter Parker as a fledgling standing expectantly against the frigid backdrop of the South Pole, with snowflakes falling gently around him. Soft, lullaby-like music by award-winning composer Robin Beanland plays in the background and complements the crisp, wintery illustrations.Viewers track the bird through various stages of his development as he glides and swims in his icy habitat, hunts food, avoids predators, meets his mate, Penelope, and helps hatch their chick, Percy. Per the "Rounds" series title, the life cycle story begins again with Percy, followed by his son, Peter.The jocund narration is charmingly voiced by British child actors. In the "Read and Play" mode, words are highlighted as they are spoken; with the independent reading option, children can manage the length of time the text appears. In both modes, users tap pale blue dots that appear on the penguins and their surroundings to glean additional information about the animal's habits and habitat.Sweeping fingers across the screen will cause snowflakes to swirl; tilting the device propels Parker across the ice and into the water with a splash. Animation standouts include the lively penguin mating dance, and Parker's age progression cleverly juxtaposed against the rising and setting of the sun. The app displays excellent sound design with realistic penguin vocalizations interspersed throughout the story.Parker Penguin's seamless presentation of nonfiction content in a captivating manner makes it an essential purchase for burgeoning digital collections.—Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, Escondido, CA