KIRKUS REVIEW
A simple yet solid seek-and-find for toddlers and preschoolers.
The point of this no-frills app is to find the animals that live in Mossy Forest. There are 10 critters in all, each hidden somewhere in the landscape on the home screen. Some creatures are easier to locate than others. The fox, the mouse and the owl, for example, are peeking out from their respective hiding places. The butterfly, however, is camouflaged as a flower, while the bunny could pass for a stone. Once an animal is located and tapped, readers are zoomed in to a screen that fully reveals it, and if narration is turned on, kids are heartily commended by the plummy-voiced British narrator for finding it. Afterward, touch the “back” button to return to the landscape so the rest of the animals can be discovered. Once they’ve all been found, readers are encouraged to uncover them again. And again. The interactions are slight and modest: Owls jump, the frog eats a fly, and the hedgehog rolls up into a ball. There’s another screen that doesn’t seem to serve much purpose other than counting to 10 by tapping the different animals. Narration is up to BBC standards, and the musical accompaniment is splendid (both are optional). The only thing that drags this app down is the time between touch and response; it’s moderately sluggish.
A serene and enjoyable way to hone fine-motor and observation skills. (Requires iPad 2 and above.) (iPad storybook app. 1-5)
