Planet App: Kids' Book Apps Are Everywhere. But Are They Any Good?

A proper picture book app lets a parent and child read, listen to, or explore a book in a fun and interactive manner. Typical options offered in these apps include turning off the sound (so that a parent or child can read on their own), changing from one language to another, and small interactive features, such as making the characters move. To review an app fairly, it helps to have a smattering of knowledge about video games and children's literature. One also wants to be able to take into account how well the software works on one's device, while at the same time determining if the child is actually getting a story or merely a series of pretty bells and whistles. In this article, the author introduces a set of potential criteria for selecting picture book apps. The questions presented in this article should be asked when figuring out whether one app or another is the best possible selection for that child sitting on one's lap. The author also considers a small cross-section of the kids' book apps available today. Apps that, for one reason or another, may have advantages over their print brethren, may complement them, or may be distinctly less impressive in comparison.