It's A Small World

$7.99, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Teaches: Geography, causality, language, music

CTR Rating: 94%

CTR Review

Beautifully illustrated with narration by children, accompanied by fully orchestrated background music, the iPad edition of the famous Disney theme-park ride lets you touch-and-explore 16 watercolor scenes depicting various parts of a happy, exotic world where everyone seems busy and happy. And yes, one scene does actually show what could be a cruise ship. Cynicism aside, this is a rare Disney production that is completely free of mouse ears. Walt would, most likely, be pleased. Each scene contains related hot spots that are well designed and help the story along. Even subtle items, such the rings of the sun shown in the African scene, can be spun with a swipe. As they move, they give off a rattle sound that fits nicely in the background music. These nice touches help children feel part of these story. Print is used sparingly, one sentence at a time; when touched, the sentence is read aloud, contributing to the value as an informal language experience. If you're expecting visuals from the famous ride, you may be disappointed. This app is rendered in stylized watercolor drawings. In a refreshing touch, the ever familiar "read to me" and "let me explore" navigation options have sidestepped. Instead, each page advances slowly, automatically, or it can be hurried along either with a bookmark -- in case you want to jump directly to a page -- or with a swipe, that puts the whole production in the context of a balloon ride. The last page includes the famous song, follow the bouncing ball style, and you can tap on the screen to control the fireworks. If you're looking for a nice bedtime book with exposure to quality art and music, this is a good choice. One word of caution -- make sure you download a current version and use a recent version of the iOS operating system. According to the iTunes reviews, this app can crash. It is also a large download -- at 133 MB.