Edsel McFarlan's New Car - Auracle

Review

Common Sense Media says

Good version of print book adds some simple interactivity.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Edsel McFarlan's New Car - Auracle is a 32-page book app based on the print book by Max Holechek with illustrations by Darrell Toland. The story involves a boy who loves cars and orders one from a catalog. After assembling the car and taking it around (to the dismay and wreckage of the town), Edsel and his car end up in the junkyard. After that, Edsel decides that instead of cars he loves space rockets, and the whole cycle starts again. There are three reading modes, so kids can control the pace and narration, and when kids tap on objects in the illustration, the word for that object pops up and is spoken (e.g., "car part"). An in-app purchase of $.99 adds an audio recording tool, where adults can record themselves reading each of the pages, then choose their voice for the narration.

  • Ease of use4
    There are three reading modes: Auto Play, Read to Me, and Read Myself. In Read to Me mode, the narrator reads the text but waits for you to turn the page. In Read to Me and Read Myself, tapping on a word repeats just that word (in Auto Play, tapping on a word repeats the whole sentence). Words are highlighted as they are read. An in-app purchase of $.99 provides an audio recording tool. Using the tool, users can record themselves reading one page at a time and change the settings so their voice is used for narration; words are no longer highlighted. In the book, you can also tap on almost any object in the illustration to see and hear a simple label for that object. You turn pages by swiping to the side, but there are no arrows or instructions. Swiping along the bottom brings up thumbnail images of all of the pages so you can scroll forward and back, and swiping along the top brings the title page down. 
  • Violence2
    Edsel McFarlan's new car causes a fair amount of destruction throughout the town, including knocking over a few people, but no one appears to be really hurt. 
  • Sex0
    One illustration shows an older neighbor's pants riding a little low as she gardens, but it's not really racy.
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Is it any good?

 

Kids will enjoy being able to move at their own pace and tap on the great illustrations in EDSEL MCFARLAN'S NEW CAR. The names for objects are very basic, which will facilitate learning to read but can get a tad repetitive. The different reading modes accommodate different abilities and can be used to reinforce reading skills. The audio recording tool is user-friendly, but make sure you adjust the settings so your audio won't be deleted. The story itself is humorous and entertaining, though Edsel never really learns from his mistakes or realizes how much trouble he's caused! Still, this is a solid app worth the price.

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This review was written by Liz Panarelli
Parent
August 25, 2011
AGE
3
 
A Visual Delight for Young Car Fans
Our son loves this book (we the print edition) and we were thrilled to find the book app to use for our trip. The Edsel McFarlan book app has wonderful, detailed illustrations. We study the pictures and enjoy the different modes. Our five year old is having a blast tapping on items and seeing and hearing the word. Highly recommended for any child, especially boys who love cars.
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Helped me decide (9) | Had useful details (12) | Read my mind (11)
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This review was written by Liz Panarelli
Category:Books
Platforms:iPad
Price:$.99
Size:45.50 MB
Publisher:Auryn Inc.
Version:1.1.0
Release date:July 18, 2011
Minimum software requirements:iOS 4.3 or later
This review was written by Liz Panarelli

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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