Just Me and My Mom – Ebook & Audio Book Hybrid App for Kiddies
by Paul Wilks
Dec 26, 2011 9:33 AM –
Install
Just Me and My Mom is a e-book/audio book hybrid app aimed at children. By the same publisher as the recently reviewed Bedtime Battle, the app either reads to your child or lets them read the story themselves. The pictures are interactive and there is a subtle but fun ‘find the frog’ challenge that runs through the narrative. The story seems pretty old fashioned by today’s standards, but kids find it fun and it’s a nice alternative to normal books.
Price: $1.99
Tested on: HTC Desire HD
Content Rating: Everyone
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Great interactive elements!
- Nice length!
- Option to either: auto play, read to you, read to yourself!
- Find the frog!
Cons
- Dated story and pictures.
- Limited appeal.
- I think the $2 mark is a bit steep for such a short story.
Features:
Just Me and My Mom tells the story of protagonist ‘Little Critter’ spending the day with his Mother. Through inquisitiveness, clumsiness and general childlike ignorance of social behaviour, Little Critter innocently gets himself into various kinds of silly and inappropriate situations. The story is amusing for little ones and it is nicely told.
There are three options to choose from. You can allow for your child to read the story themselves, swiping th screen to turn pages and touching the word itself to hear it spoken by the narrator. Alternatively the story can be read by the narrator with your child swiping to turn the page. If you’re both however very tired indeed, you can select auto-play and it will read the words and turn the pages for you.
The thing my little girl really enjoyed about this book was the fact there is a small frog hidden on most pages. A tinkling bell is played each time you find the frog and press it. There are 19 frogs to identify and your score is noted at the end. It’s quite cute, and a fun interactive way to get children to interact with the story. I’ve seen this done in normal paper books and kids enjoy the ‘Where’s Wally-esqe’ element to finding the frog/mouse, etc.
I found the story a little dated in comparison to more contemporary children’s books. the story has quite a slow pace to it and nothing particularly interesting happens. The real draw of the book is the interactive elements. Priced at around £2 I though it was a bit expensive for what it is, however if you managed to snag the app when it was 10c during the Android 10BN Sale it’s a great bargain!
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Just Me And My Mom – In-story view (1)
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Just Me And My Mom – In-story view (2)
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Just Me And My Mom – In-story view (3)
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Just Me And My Mom – In-story view (4)
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Just Me And My Mom – In-story view (5)
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Just Me And My Mom – Title page
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Just Me And My Mom – Other stories
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Just Me And My Mom – Options
Usefulness:
The story has limited appeal but young children will find it interactive and fun. certainly a nice, and more 21st century alternative to picture books at bedtime.
Ease of Use:
Designed for a child to use, it’s not rocket science. Easily touch the pictures, swipe the page to turn the page. Nice and easy, even for very young children.
Frequently Used:
From a parental point of view, you can probably use this from time to time, but would soon get boring if used regularly.
Interface:
The interface is quaint and basic, the concentration being on the story and audio elements. The pages are interactive, work well and are especially responsive to a child’s sporadic finger dabbing.
Tags:
Android App,
Android Apps,
Android Apps for Children,
AndroidTapp.com App Review,
Bedtime,
Children,
Ebook,
Just Me and My Mom,
Kids Android Apps,
Little Critter
Categorised in: Books & Reference
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