A klutzy ghost gets a cure for clumsiness from an inept witch, but plot’s just a pretext for a smorgasbord of exuberant touch-activated effects.
Prone (counterintuitively, considering that he’s a ghost) to tumbling down his castle’s stairs, Giddy (who looks like a detached stomach with a goofy face) floats to his young friend Whimsical’s cottage and helps her to create a potion that, for once, works. Said potion requires eight jars of ingredients, from “gooey goo” and “toads” to “witch mix” and “witch fiery mix”—each of which explodes into showers of creatures, sparkles or colorful glop with rapid multiple taps on successive screens. On other screens, touches will open doors, move figures around and create pop-up armies of spiders or little schmoos that look like vampire gourds, as well as set off symphonies of loud creaks and other sound effects. The undistinguished text (“Sure! I can try and create a spell and a potion to cure your giddiness!”) comes with an audio narration that cannot be turned off, a lack with the potential for becoming a major annoyance, because even a tiny swipe anywhere on the screen often causes the page to switch back or forth.
Effervescent animation, but the software still needs tweaking; a more developed story wouldn’t hurt, either. (iPad storybook app. 5-7)
