A classic-in-the-making! Great for settling down at bedtime ...

This new book app, by promising new developer BokBok Books, is a delightful bedtime story perfect for the digital age. Goodnight Coop follows the nighttime routine of a chicken coop with a lyrical tale reminiscent of Goodnight Moon and other classic bedtime books. From "the clothes on the line" to "the black and white cat", each line resonates with a sense of importance delicately balanced alongside the simple storyline.

This is truly a classic-in-the-making, giving young readers a chance to settle in for the night with well-paced storytelling. The coop of fluffy hens includes Fran, Peeper, Ginger & Maryanne. They all know when it's time to go inside and settle down for sleep, encouraging listeners to do the same. Gentle music accompanies each scene, giving the entire book a peaceful, sleepy-time atmosphere. I'd seriously resist reading this book during the day unless you plan to take a nap!

Immersive graphics and high production values round out this storybook with a kind of polish that is rare in the app world, revealing thoughtful design. Tapping brings the characters to life with light animation and a few gentle interactive sound sprites, like the cat meowing or a host of chicken noises, like clucking from the four lovely hens. This rhyming tale is also well-written and narrated, although the pacing of the read-aloud version is almost too slow at times. Words appear as they are spoken in short phrases (rather than word-for-word highlighting) with a large, clear stylized font.

The only real downside to this title is the lack of settings for navigation. While this is a small detraction for many readers it can be a serious hassle whenever starting and stoping the app mid-story, especially since closing and reopening the app does not allow the reader to hold their page. I'd recommend the addition of a pageguide and home button for basic navigation, especially useful if the device crashes unexpectedly or for youngsters who like to re-read a specific page.

Overall, this is an exquisite little bedtime book that I'd highly recommend. Very few apps can substitute for a paper bedtime book, but this one is as good if not better than the average nighttime routine with a picture book. It has all the ritual, enchantment and love of reading to offer, alongside an enticing format with music and narration.

Highly Recommended!

Updated 6/14/2015

This app has been thoroughly evaluated by our staff. Please click on the 'star ratings' tab above, to see how it fared in all nine of our rating categories. See synopsis tab for more details about the storyline.

Note to readers: This review was expedited by the developer for a fee. The content of the rating/review is the same, but timing of publication has been prioritized.

All reviews are of the app, not the platform/device. Based originally on iPad versions. Minor technical details may vary.