The Little Mermaid and Other Stories by H. C. Andersen

Review

Common Sense Media says

Gorgeous interactive tales are darker than Disney versions.
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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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the Hans Christian Andersen fairytales tend to be darker and more cautionary than the Disney versions kids might be used to. This app contains three tales to read, but they are not read out loud. The Little Mermaid has a completely different and sadder ending than that of the well-known Disney movie. The Happy Family is about a family of snails who talk about their relatives being boiled and turned into escargot. And the Emperor's New Clothes is the version most children know.

  • Ease of use5
    Turning pages and manipulating the game's interactive elements are done by simple one-finger tapping. But this ebook does not read the words outloud. It does remember where you were in the story and returns you to that spot if you stop in the middle.
  • Violence2
    In this version of The Little Mermaid, the sea witch cuts off the mermaid's tongue so she can't speak. The Happy Family is about a family of snails whose relatives are boiled and turned into escargot.
  • Sex1
    One of the illustrations in The Little Mermaid depicts bare-breasted women in a similar style to a classic painting.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
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Is it any good?

 

This collection of interactive fairytales includes The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes, and The Happy Family, with more to come in future updates. Kids read the text, and also interact with the pages themselves, which come alive with sounds, animations, and things to touch that relate to the words. The app does not read the words out loud. However, the ability to create a fireworks display by tapping the night sky, or watch rain drip off of words as a snail wiggles its way around a paragraph of text really take the concept of an "electronic book" to the next level.

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This review was written by Erin Bell

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This review was written by Erin Bell
Category:Books
Platforms:iPad
Price:$8.99
Size:22.50 MB
Publisher:Game Collage, LLC
Version:1.1
Release date:July 1, 2010
This review was written by Erin Bell

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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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