A simple story, available in both English and Spanish, reaffirms a family’s love, even in times of separation.
Many children know how hard it is to wait for a parent to return from a long trip. This story reaffirms these feelings, but it shows how the reunion makes everything just right again. “My dad can fix anything”: a broken bike, a skinned knee, hurt feelings. But it’s a long wait for his return. With personalization and customization options, this picture-book app allows young readers to identify with the main character. The child-voiced narration reinforces this, but families can also record their own narration. Children can write their names on the front page and pronounce the names aloud to become part of the narration. Readers choose whether the main character has short or long hair (presumably a boy or a girl) and whether their father or mother leaves on a trip. Unfortunately, the characters all appear Caucasian despite blue hair. The colorful illustrations have the look of line drawings and watercolor on textured paper, creating the feel of a picture book. The pacing moves the story along well, with just a few lines per spread. The interactive elements have a few surprises, especially with scenes that can be explored beyond the initial view. The app ends with an invitation to children to write or draw their own stories.
This story has heart.
(optimized for iPad iOS 6+) (iPad storybook app. 3-6)