I’ve come across a few good children’s book apps for the iPad (the vintage Ladybirds being one), but few are as engaging as Nosy Crow’s frankly wonderful version of Cinderella. Ed Bryan’s illustrations are delightful and I love the vain ugly sisters and the ice-cream obsessed king. There’s actually a lot of value to be had from just reading the story, but it’s the sheer volume of interactive elements that make this really stand out.
You can help Cinders clean the kitchen – carrying cups to the sink, stacking plates, returning fruit to the bowl and putting log on the fire – make a neat pile of invites for the king, open the invitation to the Royal Ball, assist the ugly sisters getting dressed and collect all the items the fairy godmother needs to complete her transformation.
Alfie loved all these activities and that you could make the characters talk by tapping them. I liked the wit (Cinderella and the prince can dance to a waltz, disco or a Bollywood tune and start their married life with a game of table tennis) – and that you could customise the app to feature your child’s picture thanks to Face Time (although we haven’t tried this yet, I’ve seen examples). There’s also a cheeky little robin to find in every scene, offering cheery encouragement. All in all, a beautiful retelling of a perennial classic. £2.99, The App Store.
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