Nosy Crow's list, which includes The Three Little Pigs, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk has scooped a number of accolades including the prestigious BolognaRagazzi Digital Award in the fiction category. Their latest fairy tale app features the same quirky storytelling and smart interactivity that has enchanted children since their first production was released. Nosy Crow adds another outstanding offering to its series of fairy tale adaptations with this cheerful telling of Snow White (iOS $4.99; PreS-Gr 3). Young readers will enjoy the delightful British English voice-overs supplied by children, gentle soundtrack, and charming illustrations. Intuitively navigable with arrows on each page and a map that allows readers to jump from scene to scene, the plot stays close to the Brothers Grimm tale, though slightly toned down—no gory details about the Huntsman being commanded to cut out Snow White’s heart, for example. Refreshingly, one of the dwarves is female, removing the original tale’s uncomfortable notion that Snow White’s main role is to tidy up after a group of men.

Interior screen from "Snow White" (Nosy Crow)

The app strikes an appealing balance between storytelling and interactivity. Dialogue can be extended according to individual preference in both the “Read and Play” and “Read by Myself” modes, and the iPad’s microphone, camera, and gyroscope features are used cleverly, enabling viewers to see their own face in the Evil Queen’s magic mirror, rock the infant Snow White to sleep by tilting the device, or wake the sleeping princess with a shout. The production also offers standard drag-and-drop elements so children can help clean the dwarves’ cobweb-ridden cottage and mix the Evil Queen’s potion. The only potential drawback is the app’s subtle parallax effect that can’t be disabled—the shifting backgrounds could induce dizziness when displayed on a large screen in a presentation setting. Nevertheless, Snow White is a terrific choice for enjoying one-on-one, and is a welcome addition to any book app collection.–Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA Eds. note: A trailer of Snow White is available. For additional app reviews, visit our dedicated app webpage.

Interior screen from "Snow White" (Nosy Crow)