
New Update: Just in time for the royal baby, Ink Robin has updated their beautiful book app to extend the 'happily ever after' for the royal couple. Beautifully done and now a universal app. Read our original review from April 25, 2011:
"Once upon a time in a delightful country called England, there lived a young prince," begins Will & Kate: A Love Story, by Ink Robin. This is a truly modern fairy tale that takes full advantage of a modern medium. It is nicely interactive, narrated and lightly animated in a way that captures the sweet story of the royal "it" couple perfectly.
The illustrator's style, with several scenes of paper cut-outs on a photo-background, is especially charming. The well-crafted story enhances this whimsy. When we meet the 'terribly pretty' young Catherine, a sheep near her eats a bouquet of flowers right out of her hand, startling both little Kate & the reader in a delightful way. Even the slightly irreverent humor is spot on, hitting just the right note between teasing and adoration for the story's royal subjects.
While the story was very amusing to me as an adult, this book is still definitely for children (and the young at heart). Every page is interactive in innovative ways. You can scroll on one page to see paintings in a royal hallway while on another you can tap the hot air balloon to make it go higher and higher, seeing various funny animals floating with balloons.
You even get to dress Kate in one of three different 'paper-doll' style wedding dresses that snap into place to 'oohs and aahs'. And when the crowd gather on the big day, you have to move a few of them out of the way with your finger to get a glimpse of the bride. I only wished the wedding dress would change in the later illustrations to match whichever dress the reader has picked.
Overall, this is an iPad tribute befitting of a King (and Queen). And don't worry, it isn't too long for a bedtime story. The magical brevity of storytelling allows Will and Kate to meet and then get engaged in just two short page turns. It might just be the most modern digital fairy tale written to date. And for lovers of princess stories and 'happily ever after', this tale would make a wonderful souvenir of the royal wedding.
Our Highest Recommendation!
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:
Julie Hill/Adam Larkum
Developer:
Ink Robin, Inc
Length (time):
8 - 10 Minutes
Based on non-digital book: Yes
Allows Own Narration:
No
Uses Motion: No
Age: 3 - 8 +
Languages:
English •
Length (pages):
20 Pages
Updated! This fairy tale is a story about a little boy named William and his princess-to-be, Catherine. She dreamt of meeting a prince while he wondered about how lonely he might be as a King someday in the palace. Soon fate brings them together in a library at college where they become the best of friends and go on adventures together. Then he asks her to marry him (with a rather large ring) and the whole country was full of excitement. On the big day Catherine takes a while deciding between three dresses, then right at 11am she arrives at the church to large crowds trying to catch a glimpse of her. After a couple quick "I do's" they attend a party at Will's grandmother's house before heading to a honeymoon in Paris, Rome and Honolulu. They then return to the peaceful Welch countryside to live 'happily ever after'. New ending added in 2013 includes the royal bundle of joy ...
Now also available as a beautiful picture book, published in collaboration with Egmont (UK) and Bloomsbury (US). (Published in the US as 'A Real Prince Is Hard to Find'.)
Orientation: Landscape
Format: iPad
Options:
Read to Me, Read Myself, Credits, Home Button, Links to: AppStore
App Release Date:
2011-04-08
Size: 179.49 MB
Version: 2.0
Lite Version Available: No