Common Sense Media Review
By Christy Matte
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Voice recognition is the star of cute, very short story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
The Snow Fox
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
THE SNOW FOX tells the story of a little boy or girl (user's choice), named by the reader, who sets out on a nighttime adventure with a baby arctic fox. They look at the stars together, but when the woods get dark, the baby fox is afraid and wants to stop. In the end, there's a familiar voice and face waiting in the woods for them. The reader can choose to read the story out loud and the app will respond to the text. Alternatively, they can tap on the screen to progress, although that option isn't as smooth at the voice recognition.
Is It Any Good?
This cute story invites families to read out loud together using voice-recognition technology, but it's very short. The Snow Fox is adorable, but it's so brief that it feels more like a vehicle for showing off the technology than a stand-alone tale. The voice recognition becomes the star: It responds accurately to the reader, filtering out background noise including voices from the TV and radio. As a result, it creates a lovely platform for encouraging reading aloud and fluency practice. The video component is confusing, as it seems to merely provide the opportunity to record a voiceover to a specific bit of content from the story. Kids will likely enjoy the tale, even though it's short. The baby fox is just too cute to resist! For a free app, it's certainly more than worth checking out.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about reality vs. fiction in The Snow Fox. What parts of the story could happen in real life? What parts are made up?
Talk to your kids about screen use and limits. How can kids enjoy digital media in balance with other activities?
Ask kids about ebook vs. paper books. Do they have a preference? What makes an ebook worth having it be on a screen?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects : Language & Reading : reading , speaking , storytelling
- Pricing structure : Free
- Release date : December 8, 2016
- Genre : Books
- Topics : Adventures , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Publisher : AKQA
- Version : 1.0.1
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 10.0 or later
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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
Suggest an 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