CURLY HAIR, STRAIGHT HAIR

Multicultural, yet universal enough in its language and situations to appeal to any kid, this app is appealingly simple.

A series of quick-hit situations told through the prism of the hair on the heads of cute, watercolor-illustrated children, the story trades in familiar moments. Going to bed, running around the playground, riding the bus and taking a bath are just adventures for curly, straight, long or short hair alike. With lines like, "Flying hair, windy hair. / 'Catch me if you can' hair," the app offers basic, but effective animation. Some characters wiggle or move an arm, others bump up in the air when a school bus hits a bump. The sound effects are well-integrated, and though there's as much interactivity on each page as in a more extravagant app, this one doesn't really need it. No trails are blazed here, but it's nevertheless a story with rhythmic language and a polished look and feel. The text, with the option for narration in English or Spanish, is smooth and evocative. There's also a Spanish/English dictionary to help readers learn specific words or phrases.

For younger readers, it all comes together in an appealing, attractive and easy-to-follow app.