A LETTER TO ME

A young child tries to wait patiently for a loving adult to write a letter in this customizable app.

Before reading the story, young readers will want to design an avatar, and adults will want to create a special note. The settings easily allow children to choose the gender, skin color, hair styles and more for the main character. While the choices include four skin tones, eye colors and hair colors, the hair styles do not include African-American hair types. Adults can choose a pre-written letter from eight choices, or they can edit the letter to write a personalized note. An easy-to-use recording feature also allows adults to read their letters aloud. While the technical aspects of the app work like a charm, the actual story feels like an afterthought. It begins with the young protagonist asking about a letter the adult is writing. The child quickly becomes distracted by a big pot of gumballs on the table—and the story veers off on a tangent as the child gets into a sticky mess with the gum. It’s more than a bit perplexing that the adult does not mind that the youngster is covered in bubble gum, instead just inviting the child inside to read the special letter.

Skip this treacly app and write a letter the old-fashioned way.