Two kids and a monkey chronicle their rise to rock-stardom.
At the app’s opening, the three youngsters (two kids, one primate) are preparing to rock out. They lug their gear to a train station and eventually arrive at an undisclosed location, where they will rehearse (the “on air” indicator suggests that they’re being broadcast, but one can only guess where or why). They set up their instruments, get tangled up in cords and disturb the peace (too much racket for the neighbor). Readers can decorate a guitar with stickers and help the girl pick out an outfit for the show by dressing her, paper-doll style. Once she’s sufficiently “cute,” kids can then help the band load the car (with a warning to "be careful / With the symbols [sic] and guitar"), follow them to the venue and witness their concert. Every other page in the book is the exact same backdrop—a corner of a room containing non-interactive instruments—accompanied by different verses of a dreadfully bland “poem.” Animation is mostly choppy and primitive, but the images are sharp and colorful. Kids will probably enjoy manipulating the interactive instruments and adorning the girl, at least a handful of times. But after the novelty wears off this app is likely to be a one-hit wonder.
A weak and uninspired story with lackluster interactivity and animation. (iPad storybook app. 2-6)
