Best iPad iPhone and iPod touch Books For Preschool – Second Grade: Part One

UPDATE: Nosy Crow’s 3 little Pigs now on iPhone – check for my review later on appadvice.com!

Dedicated to Stephanie Sopher and my Face Beavers

The Stay At Home GeekMom Weekend Edition

Best iPad Apps For Preschool – Second Grade

Best Books Part One:

Read Part Two: Click Here

Happy Saturday!

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This weekend I am bringing you the first of what will be an ongoing weekend series.

Please allow time for all the pictures to load, I don’t know about you but I like to see the inside of a book before I buy it. 😉

After so many emails from my friends and readers asking me for suggestions, I decided some Top Ten Lists would be a good thing to post for busy moms and dads who want a brief recap of the best apps for their kids on the iPad and soon the iPhone and iPod touch too.

At least I wanted to make a top-10 list, but there have been sooo many great offerings for young readers on iPad lately, the best I could do was a top 12.

These are in no parituclar order and please remember, these selections are for the youngest readers.

They all get the   

Also please know that The stay at Home GeekMom does NOT think interactive or digital books can replace a real book.

Of course I encourage you to read to your children and encourage them to read, any way you can.

But if you are reading my blog, I’m guessing you already do that! 😉

Ok here we go:

 

Brand new to Pad (two days old new), Moo Media/ LoudCrow Interactive (out of Vancouver, yay for Canadian devs!) brings the first Sandra Boynton offering to the App Store.

It is the Beloved The Going To bed Book for iPad and it is wonderful. Nothing from the original book it lost, but there are just enough objects to touch and animated effects to admire  keep any kid (and parent) entertained. Price: $2.99

I look forward to seeing the rest of Boynton’s library coming to iPad soon, and I hope Moo Media don’t change a thing in terms of presentation and interface. Pump votes for Barnyard Dance next, please.

Another new enrty into the kid-lit genre for iPad genre, comes from a new name, but an old and trusted source.

Former U.K. Scholastic Books execs have teamed up to create a great new independent  children’s book company called Nosy Crow.

The Three Little Pigs – Nosy Crow interactive storybook (iPad) may seem a bit pricey for 7.99, but a) it is still cheaper than most children’s book store offerings, and b) this is one heck of an interactive book.

The book is set to launch for iPhone and iPod Touch any minute so keep your eyes peeled!Look for my upcoming review on appadvice.com.

Nosy Crow has created an immersive reading experience that is never the same twice.

I took some screenshots, but they just don’t do the book justice; the video really shows it off properly so check it out:

Yet another wonderful BRAND NEW iPad book, one for your little monsters, was launched only yesterday, but as promised you can count on the Stay at Home GeekMom to get the freshest apps.

Monsters & Magical Creatures Guide For Kids By Ryan Novak, illustrated by moster-maven, Kari Fry, is a welcome new addition to the App Store.

This book is a whole lot of fun, and contains “factual” information about mylogical monsters and other magical beings, so it’s part book, part edu-app and all very appealing. Price: $1.99. Take a look:

Next up a preschool offering from one of my favorite publishers, Auryn Apps.

I hope you saw their incredible new book for slightly older children, The Little Mermaid -Auryn, if not I urge you check out my review for appadvice.com here.

It’s my favorite kid-lit book in the whole App Store at present.

What I can tell you is Auryn Apps is it a company you can trust. They care deeply about user experience and take user feedback very seriously.

OK, That’s enough about the company, the selection I picked for this feature, is a wonderful pre-school title, Teddy’s Night.

Once more Auryn creates a book that achieves the right balance between tech and text, and the artwork is wonderful. It is a tale about the power of Teddy Bears and is sure to be loved by anyone who still has one. (I do!) Price: 3.99

If you want to check out another book that strikes the right balance, The Rocket Book by Third Bird party! (is anyone else sensing an avian theme to kid-lit devs?) is a beautiful and original choice. It’s also a STEAL at .99.

This is another book I need to show you rather than tell you about so please watch the video:

Last for today, from AppleTree Apps, a company I don’t know at aI picked iReading HD – Puss in Boots to review because it is currently FREE. Get it fast though, it won’t be for long.

Based on this one offering, I can comfortably encourage you to check out any of iReading’s offerings (for all iOS devices) – they certainly have a plethora to choose from.

iReading’s  offerings are more app than book. By that I mean the text of these familiar tales is neither original nor especially well adapted.

That said, they are more than serviceable and I didn’t spot anything that would turn me off like misspellings, poor grammar etc, But they are not literature or fine art.

They range, however, from 1.99-2.99 for individual books and offer many multi-book purchases for as low as 4.99 and they cram these books full of fun features which are intuitive, engaging and entertaining.

In fact since you can even choose a blank page to color on, this is a pretty darn good drawing program for young kids too.

Ok that’s wraps up our first six books, but remember tomorrow I will have the second six for you, and they are all just as wonderful.

And keep in mind the books are NOT in order of preference, they are in the order the screenshots were taken!

Read Part Two: Click Here

Don’t forget to enter my contest to free FREE PROMO CODES for the amazing kid app – Make A Monster and Make A Monster HD for all iOS devices. I have plenty more to give away!

Did you publish, design or develop a book for iOS? Want a review here or on Appadvice.com. Please check my Developers Page.

Finally here is an abridged list of Educational Games and Reading App for ALL AGES, from sahgeekmom.com and from my reviews for appadvice.com.

• News Junkies Rejoice – Thousands of Newspapers Delivered To Your iDevice
• Take A Round-The-World Odyssey with 50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic.
• The Future of Interactive Text and E-Books Rome: A Virtual History
• Unleash Your Child’s Creativity with Kids Corner.
• Apps for Kids on Dreary Days.
• Great New Creative App for Kids and Zombie Fans of all ages: Make A Zombie
• Surreal Slide Show With Salvador: Dali the Atherly Collection.
• Check out one of my first reviews of one the very best creative toys out there for iPad: Playtime Theater.

And if you want the tools to find the best new app store offering and the best deals check out my App-Stalking Guide – it will tell you everything you need to know!

Happy Reading,

The 

App Stalking Report and 2 Edu-App No-Brainers!

Today’s  2 Edu-App No-Brainers & The Best Apps On Sale or Free for 21 February 2011

I apologize again for being absent. This time I have a great excuse though.

As I have hinted at, I was recently hired by appadvice.com to do reviews for them! This is very flattering and will help me get access to the best apps and developers to pass along to you.

But I did have to spend the free time I had between hockey and everything else this weekend learning the ropes, and today I have been busy on my first post. I am covering the app here too, but only in brief, so I do hope you’ll follow the link and check out my full review when it goes lives later this evening.

By the way, a new feature to make things easier for you. Just click on the App Icons to go right to iTunes and buy!

Ok since I still want to bring you some other stuff later today, let’s get right to it!

I mentioned this gem in one of my earliest App Staler Reports . A great new games for both kids and adults, Dino Rush, has been taking the App Store by storm.

The developer kindly gave me some promo codes to give away to you a while ago, but if you missed them today is your chance!  The game is still great and right now it’s free thanks to FreeAppADay (FAAD) who has been offering a much better calibre of free apps and games lately. I really urge you to check it out, but act fast.

Today’s Edu-App No-Brainer is a fantastic version of the classic boardgame BattleShip. iSink U for iPhone and is free today as well, down from .99. I have to tell you Pump can play with this game for hours. It’s got great graphics, and a rock-solid reputation. Download it today!

Yet another fantastic puzzle game, one for both iPad and iPhone, Midnight Mahjong is also free (it’s a really great day!)

I must tell you, I love solitaire Mahjong games and this one is my absolute favorite. (this month anyway!) The graphics are stunning, the interface intuitive, and it’s just plain fun. This game launched at $4.99 and usually hovers between 1.99 and 2.99, so get it while it’s free.

Do It (Tomorrow) HD, is is a brand new. It’s a super-simple Universal task-manager. It is 1.99, syncs across devices, and does as it claims – it helps procrastinators procrastinate. But it also helps you to determine what can and can’t be put off and does it with elegance.

Please read my full review on appadvice.com (I’ll let you know as soon as it goes live) to find out more details and to see screenshots.

What I didn’t say there that I will tell you here, is that this is a great first to-do list for kids from older grade-schoolers right through college. If your child needs a simple way to stay on task, this is definitely worth checking out.

For anyone who enjoys high-quality news, but especially for my fellow Canadians, I have another treat. CBC News has arrived at the App Store and it’s free. I really don’t have too much to say about it except get it.

The CBC is known for its journalist integrity and hard-hitting documentaries around the world. This app gives you their content on your iDevice for free. It’s the more grown-up Edu-App No-Brainer of the day.

For the younger reader, free today is Rapunzel – Tangled By Rene Retz. OK the name is off-putting because it’s a total keyword spam.

They have nothing whatsoever to do with Disney’s Tangled, not the app, the movie or anything related to it. But why they feel the need to try and trick buyers is beyond me, because frankly a non-disnified version of a classic tale is always wonderful and in spite how sour a taste this misnamed app left in my mouth, I have to admit it’s a very nice.

It doesn’t have any read aloud option, but it has some beautiful illustrations and animations and the copy is clean even if not it is the most elegant writing on earth. For free it’s worth checking out, but I urge you if you do to leave a review mentioning the name-thing. I know I will. I am sure, however, Disney’s lawyers will catch it eventually without our help. 😉

While we’re on the topic of free books, a nice but limited collection of Jane Austen’s works, with a search function is free today too.

And while you’re checking it out look for a more complete compendium of Jane’s great novels and many other classic fiction and nonfiction titles, many reduced today from the same developer.

This last one is really not my type of game, but it’s a HUGE action hit for EA. Mirror’s Edge (the iPhone version, NOT the iPad-only HD version) is one of the highest rated and best-reviewed games in the EA warehouse and today it’s only .99. It’s usually 4.99 (9.99 for iPad, wait for a sale!)  So if you have a fan of this genre in the house, snap it up.

Ok that’s all I have for you right now, but as soon as my review goes live on appadvice.com I’ll be back and hope you really will take the time to check out my new adventure in app-reviewing, and if I can, I might even get out the sneak peek of Chillingo’s Cooties, that I have been promising. If not tonight, I will get it ready overnight so I can bring it to you tomorrow.

Developers!

If you have a brand new app you want covered on appadvice.com or any app that suits this site reviewed here please check out my new Developer’s Page to find out how to submit your creation!

Have a great evening,

The 

App Stalker Report 2/4 – Angry Birds Update, Auryn Books on Sale, Comic Strip and more

I just went to do some fast App Stalking for myself (see App Stalking Guide) and there were a few really cool updtes and sales, so I jumped out here for  quick run-down. I didn’t have time to check if any of the HD games had their iPhone counterparts reduced too, but I suspect they would have, so if I mention an iPad game you want for your Iphone or iPod Touch it’s well worth peeking into the App Store today.

I am not rating these because they are either so big and well known as to make my 2 cents redundant or I haven’t tried them and can’t comment. Yet!

Let’s do it:

Angry Birds Rio is coming to a theatre near you and iOS/Mac/any-other-comceivable-platform soon. In anticipation of the big day, Rovio/Chilingo’s Smash Hit Angry Birds got a big update: 15 new levels and of course, an in-app movie-trailer. It’s a bit of shameless self-promotion, but if anyone deserves it they do. No price change, but worth the cost. Ask anyone. 🙂

A bunch of Games, big hits, have had significant price drops too:

Real Racing Hd from Firemint is down from 9.99 to 4.99 and if you have only one driving game for your iPad, this should be it. Again this is not news, it has been a App Store staple for a while, and just about every year-end wrap-up app-list named it the best racing game for iOS. But if you haven’t been able to convince yourself to drop $10 on a game, here’s your chance.

Not for kids or the squeemish, Amateur Surgeon for iPad is down 1.99-.99. DH loves it, and he’s the serious gamer. I don’t have the intestinal fortitude to find out for myself!

Also not for kids, and not for me, but you might want to know if you like racing games. Originally for the PS2, the Grand Theft Auto franchise has a DS/iOS app: GTA Chinatown Wars on sale. (All those ‘facts’ provided by DH, so if I’m wrong blame the birthday boy!) In any case it’s on down from 9.99 to 4.99.

Another runaway hit, one I have played and don’t like, but is tremedously popular, Robot Unicorn Attack HD (and non HD?) is also on sale for .99. p.s. DH’s 2c – he hates it too.

A great educational game I can recommend wholeheartedly and a favorite of Pump’s is FREE today. Try Sandslides, it’s fun, and harder than you might first expect. It’s The SAHGeekMom’s Free pick of the Day.

Also Bubble Bobble Dubble (say it 3x fast, I dare you) is down from 4.99-2.99. This popular game franchise is from Taito Corp and it’s retro, fun and on sale for 2.99 down from 4.99. These are the folks who bring you Space Invaders, so when I say retro, I mean retro. Check it out!

Onto Books, my Edu-App No-Brainer choice for today Auryn Ink, is from a company that primarily specializes in children’s intereactive books. Everything is on sale today for .99. Don’t miss them for you pre-schoolers. Teddy’s Day looks particularly cute.

Also for the pre-k set, Thomas and Friends: Misty Island Rescue HD, another interactive book is on sale. Was 4.99 now 2.99 and while Pump was never a fan, it gets very good recoommendations in the App Store.

My WTH app is another newcomer to the Books genre. Get this title: Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People. Now check the price, ready?

14.99!

I am mystified. Exactly how many poor people are buying iPads and $15 digital books to make crafts in this economy do you think? I have a feeling their core demographic won’t be seeing this, much less buying this often. I’m passing but laughing.

Another new ‘Edumacation’ App, Brain-O: Memory Training Game is free, but I am always leery of ‘educational’ game companies who use the word ‘addicting’ in their description. I’m calling the grammar police and sticking with all the amazing memory games that are already out there, thanks.

A new App in productivity, best suited to High School and College students came out today. For 1.99 you can get Scribble Basic, which allows you to record the audio of a lecture while taking handwritten notes. The Audio track syncs to your notes so you can retrieve that part of the lecture. It’s a great idea if it works well, but it’s too new to find anything on it. If you give it a try, let me know. It’s universal, which is nice for the recording, but handwriting notes on an iPhone or iPod touch? I’m thinking not so much… If you have an iPad keep watching for reviews in the App Store because similar products cost a good deal more.

I did save a gem for the end. Treat yourself, your kids, or anyone who likes playing with photos to Comic Strip – CS. It’s usually 1.99 and well worth it, now .99. It’s what you think it is. You insert pics into a comic strip, add speech bubbles, cartoonish elements and make yourself and your kids the star of the iPad show.

Ok that wraps it up for today. I’ll pop in over the weekend to update everything and again welcome to my new home: http://www.sahgeekmom.com! Don’t forget to check my contest page to see if you won Playtime Theater and to win more great swag!