
Midnight Feast is another exquisite tale from the creators of The Artifacts. Complex and hauntingly beautiful, the story follows the night-time imagination of a young teen who longs to stay up past her bedtime for what she pictures is a vast banquet. Gorgeous illustrations and beautifully paced interactive dialog create an immersive reading experience for readers ages nine and up. Polished production values, thoughtful settings and the inclusion of close reading notes round out this stellar new title.
Tapping is not so much for exploring randomly in this app but an extension of the reading experience. Your fingers absorb part of the story by unlocking it, deepening your understanding of the characters, much as your eyes and ears absorb the text and narration. In fact, the semi-animated scenes and interactive elements are so well matched to the tablet medium that the pages simply melt into one another. Not for the light of heart, this literary work is sure to draw readers, young and old, deep into the mysteries of the night.
My 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.
Note to readers: This review was expedited by the developer for a fee. The content of the rating/review is the same, but timing of publication has been prioritized.
All reviews are of the app, not the platform/device. Based originally on iPad versions. Minor technical details may vary.
Author/Illustrator:
Lynley Stace
Developer:
Dan Hare
Length (time):
20 - 30 Minutes
Based on non-digital book: No
Allows Own Narration:
No
Uses Motion: No
Age: 10 - 16 +
Languages:
English •
Length (pages):
44 Pages
Roya is a young girl, tween or young teen who fantasizes about the 'Midnight Feast' her parents have each night after she goes to bed. Having trouble sleeping, she pictures a vast and luxurious banquet as she listens to what it is actually her father banging open a can of pasta in the kitchen. She begs her parents the next day to let her stay up just once and they agree. Getting what she asked for compares poorly against her imagination, however.
From iTunes:
"This is a story for a wide variety of ages, about a girl called Roya who is excited to stay up late for a midnight feast. For younger readers, the scariest features ship in ‘off’ mode, and can be turned on in the options page. This story stands up well to close-reading, with notes and activities freely available online. Themes include: drought, its impact on food security, imagination and escapism."
Orientation: Landscape
Format: iPad
Options:
Narration On/Off, Page Guide, "Scary Sauce" On/Off, Links: Facebook, Web, YouTube, AppStore, Email
App Release Date:
2013-07-19
Size: 250.23 MB
Version: 1.0
Lite Version Available: No