
This educational app is filled with over a dozen detailed, educational descriptions of zoo animals. In a window on each page, there is a video showing the animal in its natural environment. The videos play silently with a background of assorted animal noises. Each page is narrated by a little girl named Sarah who adds personal commentary to many of the stops throughout this 'zoo trip'. Videos can be seen in full screen mode with a quick two finger gesture, although the image is less clear in the larger view.
I found the narration nice enough, but it was a little too enthusiastic in a way that becomes grating on the listener over time. The book is educational though, and my son and I were fascinated by the variety of animals featured in this app. The videos themselves vary in quality and it would have been nice to have more detailed facts about the different animals, but overall this is a nice overview of most of the animals at a typical zoo.
There is a page arrow option, although touching just about anywhere seems to cause the page to turn. Since the book isn't interactive, this isn't a huge issue. The book also has a home button, but no other way to navigate between the pages. The addition of a page guide with each animal listed, plus less sensitive page turning would be very helpful for a future update.
Overall this is a great idea for an app book. The educational concept is superb and the videos make the text much more engaging. This would be a good addition to any digital library of educational titles, especially for children learning about zoo animals.
All reviews are of the app, not the platform/device. Based originally on iPad versions. Minor technical details may vary.
Author/Illustrator:
Learning Infinity
Developer:
Imaginatronics LLC
Length (time):
12 - 15 Minutes
Based on non-digital book: No
Allows Own Narration:
No
Uses Motion: No
Age: 4 - 8 +
Languages:
English •
Length (pages):
20 Pages
The following zoo animals are featured in this educational app: Lions, Elephants, Monkeys, Rhinos, Panda Bears, Koala Bears, Kangaroo, Flamingos, Birds (Bald Eagle), Crocodiles, Seals, Polar Bears, Giraffe, Tigers, Ostriches, Penguins, Gorillas, Zebra, Peacocks
Orientation: Landscape
Format: iPad
Options:
Narration On/Off, Page Turn Arrows On/Off, Home button
App Release Date:
2011-02-22
Size: 194.2 MB
Version: 1.2
Lite Version Available: No