Parents' Guide to

A Present for Milo: A Touch-and-Surprise Storybook

By Erin Bell, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 2+

Highly interactive book with dozens of tappable animations.

App iPad Books
A Present for Milo: A Touch-and-Surprise Storybook Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • A Present for Milo: A Touch-and-Surprise Storybook App: Screenshot #1
  • A Present for Milo: A Touch-and-Surprise Storybook App: Screenshot #2
  • A Present for Milo: A Touch-and-Surprise Storybook App: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

See all
age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
October 26, 2011
age 2+

Cute, but some drawbacks

This is definitely a cute app, but it has some issues that make it a little tricky for younger/impatient toddlers -- the pages have to load all the way before you can really make any of the mini animations within each page work -- hard for an impatient toddler to understand! And the mini animations seem to require a pretty light/sensitive touch to work -- my daughter mashing her finger on them never really did the trick. Also, it seemed extremely easy to flip back a page or even back to the home screen by accident/just touching the wrong place briefly. Can't tell you how many times we had to start over -- and then each page has to load before you can flip forward again. Last but definitely not least, there doesn't appear to be any volume control on the app itself, and it has LOTS of sound effects, some of which get very loud.
See all 1 parent review

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

A PRESENT FOR MILO: A TOUCH-AND-SURPRISE STORYBOOK did not begin its life as a paper book but was designed from the ground up for the iPad, and it shows. Each colorful scene is rich with interactive elements that, when tapped, respond with animations and funny sound effects. The story itself is charming and has a surprise ending that will delight kids. This app is a fun visual treat that encourages kids to touch everything they see on the screen.

App Details

  • Device: iPad
  • Release date: December 8, 2010
  • Category: Books
  • Publisher: Ruckus Media Group
  • Version: 1.0
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 3.2 or later
  • Last updated: August 23, 2016

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended app lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate