I don’t know about you but my i-phone is becoming an increasingly important tool in retaining my sanity as a parent. It now holds a dozen or so children’s Apps which get us through those boring, frustrating daily-life melt-down moments. As boredom levels peak whilst my 2-year-old is pushed around in the Supermarket trolley, I whip it out and let her paint pictures, guess the animals (in Peekaboo Barn or Peekaboo Wild which we wrote about here) or just blow up some balloons with the fabulous Balloonimals.
These games are perfect entertainment… but can a book work as an App? I guess you all know by now that I love children’s books and don’t mind telling you I was a touch conservative about the idea of a book being on my phone or i-pad. However Nosy Crow’s Three Little Pigs App has totally converted me and I’m now so excited what new technology can bring to brilliant stories.
We downloaded the App onto an i-Pad and my kids seriously could not get enough of it. The classic story can either be read to your child or the child can read it themselves and there is also the option to read and play. We all know the story but in this version the kids get to know the three little pigs and their idiosyncrasies, by tapping the screen the reader can make them speak, dance, jump and spin and by tilting the screen you can see more of the scene. The big fun bit comes in helping the wolf to blow down the houses by blowing into the microphone but I also love the little hidden details you find by zooming in or by moving the scenery.
The App is illustrated beautifully and with great comedy (I love the Pork Pie truck that the wolf drives!). The narration (all done by children) and music are charming and engaging. In fact I am hugely excited about what this means for children’s stories. My children tend to get lethargic and bad tempered if they watch television and I think it is because it is a passive medium whereas these stories are bought to life in a way that actively encourages children to help the story evolve and even allowing them to make decisions as to how it does so.
The App is available for i-phone (even though you need to have the slightly newer snazzier version) and i-pad and it is currently on special offer (until Monday 25th April) so definitely a worthwhile treat for the kids (and parents) for the Easter holidays!
-Mo
Comments (3)
I am loving all the interactive books they have coming out & so do my kids! have you seen the books from Loud Crow interactive? they have two of Sandra Boyntons books and the Tale of Peter Rabbit. They are done so well & so cute!
http://loudcrow.com/popout-the-tale-of-peter-rabbit
LOVE the phone for my kids as well! Just a warning, I had Balloonimals on my phone as well but got rid of it after my phone had to be taken in for service because of moisture build up. When the kids blow into the phone, they also blow a lot of gunk that can break your phone so beware!
By the way, LOVE your site!
Hello Babyccino, thanks for your lovely mention of THE THREE LITTLE PIGS app – really happy that you enjoyed it. Just wanted to make clear to JaNae that we’re NOSY CROW, not LOUD crow, though agree that all these crows everywhere is somewhat confusing.
Also, a tip regarding the ‘blowing’ activated functions on the phone/ipad… it is actually a sound activation, so kids don’t actually need to blow directly into the microphone itself. If you encourage them to blow (as noisily as possible!) at the front surface of the device, rather than into the microphone, you can avoid gunk problems!