Robot Whimsy
Unique story, great graphics; may miss target age.
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Robot Whimsy
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Robot Whimsy is a storybook app that tells the story of a little boy and his friendship with a robot. It also touches upon differences and overcoming challenges. The pages of the interactive book are rich with illustrations and moving images. There are opportunities for kids to tap or swipe the screen, which makes characters act out the scene or adds to the story. Navigating the app is intuitive, and kids won't have trouble using it on their own. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
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What’s It About?
In ROBOT WHIMSY, robots begin to arrive in the main character's hometown to build a large machine. The main character develops a friendship with a robot, whose unique design lends itself to play, rather than work, which annoys the working robots who chase them away. After hiding in a church overnight, they come to find out that the working robots have finished building a large cliff. The main characters climb the cliff and discover a mechanical landscape run by a gigantic robot named System who scolds the main characters for playing. Even though the robot disapproves of all the fun, the main characters continue to play until they drive System away. Grateful for getting rid of the scary boss, the working robots give the main characters a mechanical dog.
When you launch the app, kids have the choice of navigating the app with the sound and music on or off. They can also choose to have the story read to them or to read it themselves. There's also an option that allows the user to flip to a specific page. Throughout the story, tapping and swiping add animation or text. Flipping the page prior to following the prompts skips some of the animation and text.
Is It Any Good?
This ebook's interactive experience is cool, the illustrations are appealing, and the messages are solid, but some vocabulary and themes may go over kids' heads. Kids will enjoy the unique design and function of each robot. The structure of the story makes it a perfect read-aloud and lends itself to identifying rhyming words. To appeal to prereaders and emerging readers, kids can listen to the story or read it to themselves. Although the interactive storybook is visually appealing, the story itself may be hard for kids to follow. The author's message isn't always clear, and there are some complex underlying ideas. In addition, the story is riddled with vocabulary that may be difficult for kids to understand on their own, such as the words "conviction" and "scoured." Overall, it's a cute story and fun read, but -- as with all ebooks -- it'll have the most benefit if it's read with an adult who can help kids find the learning opportunities.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about rhyme while reading Robot Whimsy. What is rhyme? Can you find words that rhyme?
The characters in the story act out certain scenes. Ask kids to act out their favorite scene from Robot Whimsy or other stories. What are the characters doing? What words make you think that? Can you show how they are feeling with your face or body?
Talk about problems and solutions. What were some of the issues in the story? How did the characters overcome challenges?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Language & Reading: reading, reading comprehension, Science: engineering
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: October 2, 2018
- Category: Books
- Topics: Adventures, Friendship, Robots
- Publisher: Neblagon LTD
- Version: 1.4
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 9.3 or later
- Last updated: October 18, 2019
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