THE LITTLE MERMAID
(reviewed on April 15, 2011)
Andersen's classic text is paired to Zwerger’s elegant, subdued illustrations and animated with graceful restraint. At first glance, there doesn't seem to be much going on. A page of text appears, with a fish bobbing as if in a slight current at the bottom of the page. It looks as though it has been submerged, light shining through moving water between the iPad surface and the text. When readers advance to the next page, the fish swims across into an illustration as the narration continues. The background sounds are the ceaseless rushing of the ocean depths. Children who touch the screen to find an animation will discover that they can make ripples and splashing sounds while guiding a school of minnows about. This is exactly the right choice for this story. Many pages have several paragraphs (read aloud in a gentle, woman's voice), and the interaction engages readers tactilely, helping them to focus. As the action moves to the ocean’s surface, the undersea gurgling is replaced by the wash of ripples, the soughing of the wind and creaking of ships. This being the original story, there is no happy ending: The little mermaid becomes a "daughter of the air," hoping to eventually win an immortal soul. Children accustomed to Disney blandness will find this quiet, subtle app a welcome introduction to a more sophisticated aesthetic. (iPad storybook app. 6-12)
