Rounds: Franklin Frog
© 2012 Nosy Crow
See also Rounds: Parker Penguin. This innovative app stretches the definition of ebook, with a dash of Nosy Crow irreverence. Rounds: Franklin Frog is the first title in a series of non-fiction apps that deal with life-cycles. Children can participate in a G-rated version of each stage of frog reproduction, helping a male frog hop, swim, croak, eat and find a female to reproduce. Next comes eggs and changing from a tadpole into a frog. The entire experience is high in child control, creating an excellent way to introduce children to the basic concepts of reproduction, without embarrassment. Because the app is based on three generations, you play the app three times, with different characters (Franklin, Franklin's Son and Franklin's Grandson), hence the word "rounds" in the title. This is the first time we've seen this type of circular design, similar in ways to a play with different actors using the same sets. As you explore, you discover frog facts: that they drink through their skin and chew food inside their mouths by squashing it between their tongue and their eyeballs. The app makes it easy to swipe to guide frogs with your finger, to make them jump, swim and catch flies. You can help them croak to attract a mate, and you watch a tadpole gradually turn into a frog. Features include quality orchestrated background music that seems very relaxing. There are three reading level settings, and the text highlighting can be toggled on or off, in case you want the child to read by themselves. The app is illustrated by Barry Tranter. The narrative is written by Emma Tranter. All in all, this is an excellent new addition to the ebook genre that is worth the $4.99.
$4.99, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch (iOS 3.1.3 or higher)
Teaches: science, life cycle of frogs, biology, reproduction
CTR Rating: 86%