Parents' Guide to

How Rocket Learned to Read - by Tad Hills

By Christopher Healy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Clever interactions match the book's joy-of-reading message.

App iPad Books
How Rocket Learned to Read - by Tad Hills Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

With lovely illustrations, a cute plot, and great narration by actress Hope Davis, HOW ROCKET LEARNED TO READ — BY TAD HILLS would already be a wonderful picture book app. But what makes it even more special is the way the entire app feels designed to back up the book's message about the joys of learning to read. The word games, the chance for kids to write in the snow (just like the dog, Rocket, does in one of the illustrations), the many chalkboards on which kids get to see words that begin with each letter -- it all works toward the main theme. Kids can even tap any word in the text to hear it spoken aloud. This is great example of how publishers can use app features to enhance what's already great about a book.

App Details

  • Device: iPad
  • Release date: January 21, 2011
  • Category: Books
  • Publisher: Random House Digital, Inc.
  • Version: 1.0
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 3.2 or later
  • Last updated: August 22, 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.

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