Few authors and developers create fictional stories for the iPad with the tween and teen audience in mind. Lynley Stace of Slap Happy Larry is an exception. A while back SLJ interviewed Stace about her haunting stories, beguiling artwork, and app development. Her latest production, Hilda Bewildered, is reviewed below. Its extensive teaching notes will be a boon to educators who want to introduce digital stories in the classroom. Hilda is the name of a princess who is nervous about delivering her first public speech, and it's also the name of a pickpocket who crashes the event and steals a royal ring. Lynley Stace’s Hilda Bewildered  (Dan Hare/Slap Happy Larry, iOS $2.99; Gr 6 Up), a somewhat surreal story, requires readers to decide for themselves which parts of this tale are real and which are fantastical. As with the other interactive fictional offerings from Stace (The Artifacts, Midnight Feast), Hilda encourages readers to experience the story in a flexible way, as they consider its themes of imagination and identity.

Screen from Hilda Bewildered (Slap Happy Larry) Stace

The app rewards exploration. The more time viewers spend on a screen, the more they will discover. “Rub-to-reveal” pages offer a second image under the first. Persistent tapping presents layers of dialogue. Words sometimes appear on the screen, then float up and away until they’re out of sight. Hands holding a cell phone rise from the bottom of one page and take photos (which change when tapped). The app is a feast for the senses—jewel-toned pages shimmer in and out of view, static characters are given the illusion of movement, and color, music (Chris Hurn), and sound effects change to mirror the mood and tempo of a scene. Tweens and teens are sure to appreciate Hilda, but don't hesitate to share it with adults, who will also be enchanted by this atmospheric, imaginative story. A protected "more" icon on the menu page leads to page-by-page "Illustration/Teaching Notes" where Stace discusses her decisions about color, visual angles, language, setting, music, and weather, and commentary on advertising and wealth and poverty. Another icon leads to an offer to purchase Slap Happy Larry apps in a bundle.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library For additional app reviews, visit our dedicated app webpage.