In this week's selection we highlight three apps for children preschool-grade one: a live-action production to reinforce concepts and two flights of fancy. What do they have in common? In a word, action!

Interior Screen "ABC Actions" (Peapod Labs, LLC)

ABC Actions ($2.99; Peapod Labs LLC; PreS-Gr 1) is an alphabet of action words offered in both English and Spanish. In either mode the app opens to a grid of letters and words in alphabetical order. When one of the entries is pressed, a photo of a child or children engaged in that activity appears along with the word spelled across the bottom of the screen ("hug," "abrazar," etc."); the word is also voiced. For each entry, viewers can also access an additional image (by swiping the screen) or a live-action video, and a simple sentence describing the activity. Some of the letters offer one or two screens of action words, others three or more, and several are not represented at all (“E,” “I,” “N,” “Q,” “U,”V,”X,” “Z” are absent in the English version; “F,” “J,” “K,” “O,” “Q,” and “T”-“Y” in the Spanish version). Other access points to the images are the letters of the word spelled across the screen. If one is tapped, the screen will jump to that letter—as long it’s not one that's missing. The colorful photos illustrating the activities are crisp and clear and the accompanying videos are generally of interest. However, adults may pause cause at one of the photos of a boy diving (“D”), which looks unsafe, and children may lose interest or be confused by the video discussing the difference between two punches (“P”) unless they are familiar with the specific martial art referenced. The app is in a horizontal presentation only. Parental settings offer choices between upper and lower case letters; music and videos off or on; and language options. However, trying to access or change these settings is frustrating and involves lots of ineffective swiping. Despite some flaws, the app offers spelling support and second language practice for ELL students and children learning Spanish. –Renee McGrath, Nassau Library System, NY

Interior image from "How I Became a Pirate" (Oceanhouse Media) Shannon

Ahoy, mateys! Did you hear? Melinda Long’s picture book How I Became a Pirate (Harcourt, 2003), illustrated by the inimitable David Shannon, is now an app (Oceanhouse Media, $3.99; PreS-Gr1). The story tells of one Jeremy Jacob’s adventure with a group of pirates during a family outing to the beach. The pirates are looking for a spot to bury treasure and someone to do it, and spying Jeremy’s sand castle causes them to realize, “He’s a digger, he is, and a good one to boot!” Sound and animation have been added to this version of the story. A sea chantey plays in the background on opening the app—setting the stage for the exciting nautical tale—and sound effects such as crashing waves, squawking seagulls, and booming thunder can be heard throughout. Shannon’s bold illustrations in rich colors display well on the iPad and slight animations, including characters that blink, a rowboat that rocks, and falling rain, add to the liveliness. Children can choose to read the story independently or listen to the winning narration that alternates between the gruff tones of Braid Beard the pirate and Jeremy’s young voice. (In the “Read to Me” mode, words are highlighted as they are voiced and the when objects are touched, their labels appear). Navigation is easy; children can tap the arrows at the bottom of the screen to turn back a page or advance to the one that follows. Pirate is a charming story that is enhanced by the iPad’s capabilities. One feature provides children with the opportunity to record their own narration, encouraging them to revisit this engaging story as they develop their independent reading skills. A trailer is available. —Cathy Potter, Falmouth Elementary School, Falmouth, ME It’s a storyline many children are likely to be familiar with: imaginative play before bedtime inspires out-of-the-world dreams. In the case of Klaus Baumgart’s whimsical Laura’s Journey to the Stars (Bastei Luebbe GmbH & Co. KG, $2.99, PreS-K) sleeping siblings adventure into a fantastical version of space. With no printed text, the narration, appropriate music and sound effects, and animations carry listeners from screen to screen. While the pacing on some pages is slow, an abundance of moving parts that wiggle or move across the screen when touched attempt to compensate. With some exploration, children may find three hidden games within the app. However, with no special indicators of where the games are younger users may have difficulty locating them on their own, and older users may tire quickly of these elements. From a tab at the bottom of any screen, viewers to jump to any of the 15 pages, and a return to the first page allows access to a settings menu (the icon is a teddy bear with tools). A text-prompted double-finger swipe unlocks the settings and allows viewers to adjust narration and music levels, access the German and Chinese language versions, rate and share app information, and visit a bookshelf that will take them to the app store to review other offerings. While children and families with Baumgart’s “Laura’s Star” series may find the app engaging, parents or and educators looking for something to read with children may want to look elsewhere.—Brad Clark, Wilsonville Public Library, OR For more app reviews for preschool-grade 12, visit our Touch and Go webpage.