Mammals
© 2017 Tinybop, Inc.
Future zoologists take note: this 9th Explorer's Library app ranks among the best of the series -- on par with the Human Body. This time you can play with the insides of five creatures to see how they play, eat, see, run, fly, grow, reproduce and feel. The tiger has a working claw, and the bat illustrates how sonar works when you dangle a fly in front of it. You can "pet" the fur on each critter, and a vision lab lets you see through the eyes of each creature,thanks to your camera and a night/day mode. It turns out that elephants don't see very well. A racetrack makes it easy to compare the top speeds of each animal (although, as CTREX expert Gail Lovely notes the size scale is incorrect). All of the animals can be displayed as cross sections illustrating their bones, muscles, nerves and digestion system. And yes, they all poop, as long as you feed them the right type of food. The information is expertly presented via gore-free illustrations. Mammals is the ninth in Tinybop’s Explorer’s Library. Other titles include The Human Body, Plants, Simple Machines, The Earth, Weather, Homes, Skyscrapers, and Space. Need to know: CTREX Expert made some good points. Gail Lovely questioned the definition of "mammal" when applied to the bat and kangaroo (the latter being a marsupial). Claudia Haines (a librarian and CTREX expert) was happy to see the landscape mode, but would like more animals to explore. Tinybop has promised that the Sloth (which is shown in the main menu) is coming, and the Elephant will soon have a baby. The bottom line -- this is a powerful, responsive biology lesson that successfully makes big ideas accessible. Apps like this are the reason you paid $500 for your iPad (there is no Android version).
$2.99, iPad
Teaches: science, biology, mammals, food, digestion, medicine, health
CTR Rating: 96%