Kai is a 10 year old boy with a wild imagination and a love of history and treasure. He lives above his parents' treasure shop and the illustrations of this store were so detailed that I could almost imagine being able to play a 'hidden object' game within the page. Tapping on any one of dozens of items elicits high quality sound effects at every turn in the shop's shelves. And we haven't even gotten to the heart of this book - the treasure hunt itself.

This digital book has wonderful interactive sounds and lots of things to touch on every page. One of my son's favorites was the lamp that Kai gets as a birthday gift. It has a shade that looks like a globe and tapping on it turns Read more …

Penelope the Purple Pirate is a wonderful story for kids about a little girl who doesn't want to take a nap, so while stuck in her room, she dresses up and then imagines she is a pirate out at sea. She wears a purple sash and has friends among the sea animals. She rides on the back of the turtle to find an island and search for treasure. When she 'returns' from her adventure she is ready for her nap (tired from all her travels, perhaps?).

This book features simple narration with a tiny bit of animation, like sparkles around the treasure. The sound effects that were added in the update are really nicely spread out, with something 'hidden' on nearly every page. They are things like splashing Read more …

The Pirate Captain is a beloved but a bit beleaguered pirate when he tries to assert his authority. Perhaps he would be not only well-loved but also well-respected if he could just win the "Pirate of the Year" award ... the most coveted award in the world of pirate-dom. His trusty companion, Polly, certainly agrees. But is she really a parrot, or something much more rare? Readers will enjoy an adventure in this movie-themed storybook app, featuring crisp images from the film.

This title is not animated or interactive, providing a simple reading (or listening) experience that will reinforce the movie or prepare young children for what to expect before going to the theater. Fans of the Read more …

Finn's Paper hat is a charming, original storybook app about a little boy and his newspaper hat. Little Finn has a wild imagination, taking the reader on a trip sailing the seas. Subtle interactivity and animation make the story come alive on every page with unique things to tap and explore. You can tap to create more snow, hear the whale talk or to get Finn's boat to sail across the sea. And on the final page, my favorite, you can drag the sun right out of the sky to reveal a moonlit night, filling it with flickering stars everywhere you tap.

The well-crafted story is told as much through the illustrations as the text, featuring a combination of line drawings and 'newspaper' print. The Read more …

Scott's Submarine is a cute digital book about an underwater adventure. The book has a unique graphic style and storyline that can be read at two age levels (2-3 & 4+) which could also translate nicely to reading levels for early readers and those who are more advanced. The book also has settings for multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French & Japanese. This makes it a terrific choice for foreign language learning & practice.

As a digital book, this title really stands out most for its stunning computer graphics. There is a lot to see and to do in this book, too, and while it is not really animated, there are several fun scenes that 'vibrate' to give the Read more …

This is the second book in the series about Millie, an ordinary dog with extraordinary capabilities. In book two, Millie is on an adventure, searching for a key that will bring her an endless supply of bacon. This adorable pooch shows up in photographs that are interspersed with lots of fun interactive & animated elements. You can open flaps, pull levers and play with this app much like a traditional pop-up (only better).

The app has great background music, delightful narration and a charming interactive interface that will please adults as much as children. There is also a fun activity with 'hidden' stickers on each page. This makes it a bit less suitable for bedtime reading, though, Read more …

Midlandia is a fictional land where anthropomorphized canines work, live and have all sorts of adventures. One Midlandian, Builda, is the owner of the bicycle factory, supplying everyone with their favorite form of transportation. When a bike breaks, even with something as small as a flat tire, the habit in town is to throw it away and get a new one. But the local dump is beginning to overflow when Builda has a big idea that can make life better for everyone.

This lightly animated and interactive series is full of fun illustrations with lots of detail to show off Midlandia and its inhabitants. Nice hints show kids where to tap, triggering sound effects and cute animations, most of which are Read more …

More than 60 years later, the 1953 Disney animated classic, Peter Pan, is still a favorite of children. Parents have the opportunity with this digital book to share a favorite from their own youth, albeit in a modern form. This story takes original images from the movie (and Golden Book issued in print in 1953 & reissued in 2007), and lightly animates them in a way that enhances the story without distracting from reading comprehension.

Unlike other Disney titles in digital, this one is not interactive, making it a great bedtime read if you can avoid the fun activities that are bundled into the app. Throughout the pages, small icons indicate extras that can take the reader outside the Read more …

I'm Going to be a Pirate! is an original storybook about two sisters. Little Lily describes in detail her plans for a pirate adventure ... but her big sister Amanda is not impressed. Amanda says things like, "You can't be a pirate, you get seasick," trying to ruin her little sister's fun. The ever-exuberant Lily responds to each of Amanda's complaints with irrepressible optimism & creativity.

For instance, when Amanda says Lily can't be a pirate because she doesn't like to eat fish, Lily adds that she'll just bring their mom along to make sandwiches. Page by page, the two girls weave a detailed world of pirate pretend play. And in the end Amanda stops complaining, asking if she can be a Read more …

The Adventures of Peter Pan is a nicely abridged retelling of a classic tale. It captures the magic of Neverland, the Lost Boys, pirates and the boy who would never grow up. The highlight of a classic tale like this, when presented by So Ouat!, is the animated storytelling. Characters in the book act out the scenes from each page in short inset videos next to the text. There isn't anything interactive about the illustrations, although tapping the screen does stop and start the narration (which highlights as read).

The only true interactivity present in this book is in the 'extras' - a unique drop down of each page's text that can be explored with several words Read more …