
Wild Willow is a short but sweet title from author/illustrator Morgan Swofford. The story features an 8-year-old girl named Willow McDee who is WILD. And by wild, they mean untraditional for a girl. Willow likes to fish and play in the mud; she goes barefoot, chooses cars over dolls and sports over cheerleading. "Sometimes people give Wild Willow a hard time," says this wise tale about gender roles. Eventually Willow's 'wild' ways help save the day when her sister's cat is stuck in a tree.
As a digital offering, this title does lack polish, feeling much more like a simple iBook than an iPad app. Pages turn with a simple swipe left or right, but there is no page guide nor a home button to go back to the beginning. Lovely narrion is available by tapping on a book icon on the bottom right corner of each page. The button & framing of the page mean the book doesn't take full advantage of the screen, featuring the story in a smaller letterbox.
But overall, this is a satisfying storybook despite its minimal digital enhancements. It may not "wow" your kid with special effects, but the messages are meaningful. For a thoughtful storytelling, you can't go wrong with Wild Willow!
Recommended!
This app has been thoroughly evaluated by our staff. Please click on the 'star ratings' tab above, to see how it fared in all nine of our rating categories. See synopsis tab for more details about the storyline.
All reviews are of the app, not the platform/device. Based originally on iPad versions. Minor technical details may vary.
Author/Illustrator:
Morgan Swofford
Developer:
POKEY TOAD STUDIOS LLC
Length (time):
3 - 5 Minutes
Based on non-digital book: No
Allows Own Narration:
No
Uses Motion: No
Age: 3 - 5 +
Languages:
English •
Length (pages):
27 Pages
From iTunes:
Willow McDee is an 8-year-old. Everyone things she is wild! She likes to fish, bike, and play with worms in the dirt.
Despite people occasionally giving her a hard time, Wild Willow demonstrates through her unique talents that she is special in her own right!
Orientation: Landscape
Format: Universal
Options:
Read to Me, Links: None
App Release Date:
2015-07-02
Size: 61.03 MB
Version: 1.4
Lite Version Available: No