Numberlys, The
© 2012 Moonbot Studios
Pricey but amazing, The Numberlys ($5.99) will go down as perhaps the most zany alphabet book ever made. It comes from the studio that created The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Lawrence Lessmore, directed by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg of Moonbot Studios. The experience blends art and interactive surprises that support the compelling story. You start with a story, told by a comical narrator with a thick (perhaps Russian) sounding accent, who tells the story of a grey society that has no letters or words -- only numbers. Based on the art style, it also has no colors. As you swipe your way through the story, you help a small group of friends convert numerals like "8" into letters like "B" or "R" by shooting missiles, slicing the letters in half, bouncing on trampolines, spinning turntables, and so on. There's a routine per letter, giving you plenty of surprises. There is even an intermission -- a first for any app we've reviewed -- right after the LMNO. The navigation system makes it easy to jump between pages, and there are options that let you turn on/off the help and/or the narrator. The art mixes grey industrial art styles from the 1930's (a Metropolis look), with a totalitarianism, Big Brother theme. Because of the way in which the art, interactivity and story work hand-in-hand, this title was awarded an honorable mention in the 2012 BolognaRagazzi Digital awards.
$5.99, iPhone, iPad
Teaches: reading, art, music, the alphabet
CTR Rating: 94%