Tacky the Penguin

Review

Common Sense Media says

Interactive story encourages kids to be themselves.
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 Tacky the Penguin is a digital version of the children's book by Helen Lester that teaches the value of being an individual and not always following the pack. Tacky is an "odd bird" and doesn't fit in with his graceful penguin companions. But after Tacky's uncouth behavior foils a group of hunters, the other penguins realize he's a good fellow to have around after all.

  • Ease of use5
    Pages are turned with a swipe of the finger. Kids can read themselves or listen to a narrator read page by page. There's also a fully automatic mode where kids can watch and listen to the entire book being read to them, almost like a mini-movie. Kids can pause the story and later resume from where they left off.
  • Violence1
    Hunters threaten to hit the penguins with switches, trap them, and sell them for profit.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
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Is it any good?

 

Based on a wonderful story about nonconformity, TACKY THE PENGUIN embellishes the original text and illustrations with interactive elements that emphasize reading and vocabulary building. Kids can tap the scenery to learn words, tap paragraphs of text to hear a narrator read them, or listen to the narrator recite the whole story while following along with highlighted words. The app doesn't contain as many bells and whistles as some other ebooks, but the result is that the story is kept front and center.

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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:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:$2.99
Publisher:Oceanhouse Media
Version:1.08
Release date:December 14, 2010
Minimum software requirements:iOS 3.0 or later
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.
Our child development rating guidelines

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