Flat Stanley (App)

iPad, iPhone

Teaches: geography, language, photography

CTR Rating: 90%

CTR Review

Update: The Flat Stanley app has added a new feature. It instantly translates between English and Chinese to coincide with the app's launch in China. Inspired by the 1963 book "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown and moved into the age of apps and Facebook by Dale Hubert, a Canadian elementary teacher, the Flat Stanley App is a free download that lets you superimpose a Flat Stanley cutout character over a photo taken with your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch camera. The idea is not unlike a message in a bottle. But instead of a bottle, your image captures your location, and you can type a little story about what Stanley is seeing. The app is easy to use, and offers one-touch access to your Twitter, Facebook or email accounts, although you are required to register with a screen name and password. Your photo can then be mixed in with a pool of photos from around the world and it is represented by a pin on a map; an excellent way for children to learn more about the world. We could find no advertising, and we're not sure how Flatter World makes money from this app, other than by selling books. Note that Flat Stanley is a trademark of the Trust u/w/o Richard C. Brown f/b/o Duncan Brown and is used with permission by the Flatter World.