Penguin's Family

Review

Common Sense Media says

Sweet but slow story about an endangered baby penguin.
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 Penguin's Family is a beautifully illustrated -- but rather slow moving -- and spoken storybook app that tells the story of a baby endangered Humboldt penguin and his parents, showing both mom and dad taking turns caring for the baby. The developer, Oceanhouse Media, says its mission is to create apps that "enrich lives and better humanity." This sweet storybook definitely fulfills that mission, as kids learn about the beauty of endangered animals and nature, as well as how some animal parents care for their babies in similar ways to human parents.

  • Ease of use5
    Typical of most Oceanhouse Media book apps, there are three easy-to-use modes: Auto Play (kids aren't required to do anything but sit back and listen); Read to Me (listener must flip pages); and Read It Myself (kids who can read to without voice-over).
  • Violence1
    At one point the baby penguin is chased (but not captured) by a sea lion, which may be scary for very young kids.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism2
    A button on the main page will lead you to a landing page for purchasing other apps by this developer. If the News setting is turned on, advertising for other apps from the publisher may show up as pop-up screens when the app has just been started.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety0
    Not applicable.
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Is it any good?

 

PENGUIN'S FAMILY is a quietly educational, beautifully illustrated storybook app. It's too bad that there's not more interactivity because kids these days -- even the youngest app users -- expect it, which may cause some kids to undeservedly label this worthwhile story as boring. There's really no interactivity other than page turning on two of the three modes and the vocabulary words zooming up and being re-spoken when the pictures are touched.

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This review was written by Dana Villamagna

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This review was written by Dana Villamagna
Category:Books
Platforms:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:$2.99
Size:16.40 MB
Publisher:Oceanhouse Media
Version:1.08
Release date:July 19, 2011
Minimum software requirements:iOS 3.0 or later
This review was written by Dana Villamagna

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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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