| Iconic Apps (all apps) |
| Postman Plum Interactive Kids Book (Age 2+) | |||||||||||
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Big-T had learnt his alphabetc, so I was looking for childrens books on the iPhone to practice reading and found Postman Plum. I was looking for an app that would be more than a book. Real books are good and I don’t think an electronic device should ever replace them. But an electronic book on a device such as an iPhone can do things a real book cannot.
Postman Plum is one example of how the iPhone can be more than just a book. It will read the story to you. You can also touch things on the pages to get little sound effects to sprice things up.
Big-T (3yo) loved Postman Plum for quite a while. He eventually got tired of it however. One thing about the book however is the writing is very small (part of the challenge of a small screen) so it did not really help Big-T learn to read (one of my objectives). So I am still looking for that perfect book.
The Application
The app is a book with most of the screen taken up pictures. You can touch to move forward and back through pages. If you touch on the writing it will be read out. You can touch other bits of the page to get sound effects (e.g. door bells ring, characters say something).
The story is about Postman Plum who has to deliver a parcel to a strange address where there are stories of other postmen not returning from. Its set on halloween. Eventually Postman Plum delivers the parcel only to find out that Pumpkin Seed (the recipient) is actually really nice.
The Good
- Its put together pretty well. The graphics are pretty good. Its pretty easy to drive by Big-T (3yo boy).
- It is an example of an electronic book. Each page has other places you can touch for sound effects.
- The narration is done well. There can be a big difference in quality here between different books I have come across.
- Big-T loved it for a few weeks – first app of choice he would start up.
- It will read out the story to the child without an adult having to do the reading. I read at least one book with my kids every day – but there are times its useful to have Big-T distracted for a while (e.g. while getting dinner ready or at a restraunt).
The Bad
- The writing is very small, and there is no highlight of where the text is up to. So you touch and listen. It did not help Big-T with practicing reading at all (as far as I could tell).
- You can touch different places on the screen for different sound effects, but there are no animations or anything like that. So its a bit better than a physical book, but not much better.
- I do not like the story that much. Its a fantasy story where most of the story is (mildly) scary. Its also set on Halloween. Only at the very end does it turn around to point out that often we are scared of the unknown, but once we understand things its often no longer scary. I would rather expose my kids to positive emotions and thoughts. But I acknowledge this is completely subjective.
Educational Value
It read out a story with a message (unknown things are often no longer scary once you know the full picture). I was hoping to help with learning to read, but not really. It does encourage interest in books/stories.
My Score
3.5 stars. Its fine as a sampler for other books by Iconic Apps. I personally don’t like the story line, but I did not take points away for that reason. Its put together pretty well. It does have some educational merit, but don’t expect this app to help your child learn to read. It was however Big-T’s app of choice for several weeks.
Get it in iTunes
More information, screen shots, and user reviews can be found in the iTunes store.
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