I LOVE MY DAD

Gently rhyming narration follows Ollie the zebra and his father as they spend a day together cooking, going to the park, painting a fence and reading a story at bedtime.

The delicate illustrations in gray and white with highlights of color are simply and effectively animated with no extra clutter to take away from the charm of the original book (2010). Tapping the characters starts them walking, riding bikes, swinging and so on, with the overall effect enhanced by realistic sounds and refreshingly high-quality, original music. Ollie’s ascent of the tree full of singing birds is particularly noteworthy; each bird is gently animated, and Ollie’s father watches with a smile from a lower branch. The littlest ones will love it when Ollie hides under a blanket and then pops out to shout “Boo!” in classic peekaboo fashion. Although easy page turns and an index page option are available, there is unfortunately no option to turn the narrator off and read it aloud. [Editor's note: "read to myself" option added in version 1.1, Nov. 22, 2013.]

Simple enough for preschoolers to enjoy independently, but like the subject itself, this app will be enjoyed most when shared together. (iPad storybook app. 2-5)