
"Treetop Ted, Treetop Ted, what's that thing on top of your head?" begins this cute title. Featuring light animation and interactivity, Treetop Ted will enchant young readers and listeners with its lovely pacing and fun rhymes. The bright, colorful illustrations are simple but engaging in a way that makes this book perfect for the under six set.
Ted is a green stick figure with a branched "tree-top" head ... but he can get no peace, not even a minute to enjoy his tea. Bugs in all shapes, sizes and noises make a home on his head, annoying poor Ted and making him feel "itchy, twitchy, scritchy, scratchy." These fun words are great for teaching about onomatopoeia, or words that mimic real sounds.
Very simple animations, like Ted's 'googly eyes' spinning or slight movements of the bugs, provide nice enhancement. There are also sound effects of critters munching and scratching. Most of these interactive elements aren't tailored to the storyline but they don't distract in a way that is likely to impact reading comprehension. Page turn is by simple arrows and text narrates only after tapped on each page, without highlighting. The text and images are laid out thoughtfully, though, making for a very satifying read.
Overall, this is a perfect book app for very young children, capuring the spirit of the toddler board book or short rhyming books popular with preschoolers. This digital book is also paired with just the right amount of enhancement to engage little ones without overshadowing the storytelling. Recommended!
All reviews are of the app, not the platform/device. Based originally on iPad versions. Minor technical details may vary.
Author/Illustrator:
Bronwyn Callander
Developer:
Bronwyn Callander
Length (time):
4 - 6 Minutes
Based on non-digital book: No
Allows Own Narration:
No
Uses Motion: No
Age: 2 - 6
Languages:
English •
Length (pages):
22 Pages
Treetop Ted ... 'what's that on your head' asks the narrator. It's some kind of bug ... a scratchy one too. Another bug appears, giving Ted even more trouble. More bugs appear, flying ones and crawly ones. "Itchy, twitchy, scritchy, scratchy!"
There are even bugs with tap shoes, dancing on Ted's head ... until ... he sits down to enjoy his tea ... and they all come back again.
Orientation: Landscape
Format: iPad
Options:
Read Story (tap text for narration), Home, Links to: AppStore, Web
App Release Date:
2011-03-17
Size: 11 MB
Version: 2
Lite Version Available: No