Transformers Rescue Bots: Dino Island

Though Transformers Rescue Bots: Dino Island has many appealing elements, it's more of a mixed bag than earlier apps. Fans of the Rescue Bots will appreciate being a part of the mission, reading and playing along with the interactive parts of the story. The graphics and voices are all excellent quality, and kids have options to read independently or listen along, which allows for young readers to explore in various ways. The Dino Cam is a fun feature, too, though it is tricky to center the images perfectly. Though the attempt to honor diversity is evident -- including female characters of color -- it appears at first to fall short, with the two women being in need of rescuing by a male doctor, a boy, and the all-male voiced Rescue Bots. The women turn that around, though, and escape on their own while the Rescue Bots are held captive. What could be a great message is canceled out when the credit for the rescue goes to the Rescue Team after all, with the closing line "Thanks to the cooperation of the Rescue Team, Frankie and Professor Barrow are safe, and so are the Dino Bots!" For some kids, the takeaway will be that the Transformers saved the day when the female characters actually saved themselves: a point that could be powerful with an altered ending.