The Chronic Consumer

One thing I absolutely love about the iPad is its capacity for colorful, interactive children’s books. I want my son to derive some real enjoyment from reading, but that just isn’t happening with traditional books. If it takes interactive stories like the Jack and the Beanstalk app for the iPhone/iPad to get him to spend a half hour with a book, then so be it.

This classic story was created in its interactive form by Ayars Animation, Inc. and sells for $3.99, which I think is an absolute bargain for the product you get. Jack’s story of the magic beans is told across more than 30 screens, and can be read by a narrator or not (as you choose). When selecting the on-board narration, the current words and phrases are highlighted to help your child learn to read along — a terrific feature for beginning readers.

The best part of the book is that each page is fully interactive. That means the child can tap different parts of the illustration (or even tilt the iPad) to make various things happen. For instance, the child can “drag” the sun across the horizon to make day turn into night; tap different farm animals (pig, cow, chickens) to hear them make their animal noises; or even play mini games that pop up. The best page is a black & white one that can be “painted” as the child moves his finger along the image. So much fun for kids!

Overall, I think Jack and the Beanstalk for iPhone/iPad is one of the best interactive books currently available. It is well worth the $3.99 price tag, and will keep your child engaged for a long time. I highly recommend this app!