Granny Olive weaves quite a tale!

This book app is one of the finest examples of digital storytelling to come across my tablet in a long time. It is beautifully made, created by The Land of Me. Upon opening it, readers are greeted by a scene with a serious but loving storyteller in the form of Granny Olive and three juveniles: a bear named Buddy Boo, a raccoon named Eric and a bird named Willow. This wise old tortoise will have your child as enthralled as her three charges, the minute you open this app. It is lovingly detailed, solidly built and thoughtfully tailored to its target audience of ages 2-6+.

While the stories in this app are very short (barely 2 minutes long), there is enormous replay value, since there are 27 of them possible in all. The story options for young readers include choosing one of the three characters (Eric, Willow or Buddy Boo), what the story is about (a wolf, an egg, or the dark) and what kind of story arc (happy, sad or funny). There is exceptional teaching value in the way the story elements can be chosen. Yet the sheer delight children will have just playing with this app would be more than enough to recommend it highly. 

This app is not your typical book app, however, lacking real page turning during the 2-minute mini-stories, which are essentially on auto-play. It does have text and great animated line-drawings, like on a cave wall, that visually tell the story alongside the polished narration (although it does not highlight). One small link does leave the app, although it is tucked inside the small 'info' area.

Overall, this is a tremendous offering from the makers of LadyBird Books. It is easy enough for a child to use by themselves, but just as enjoyable with groups of kids, for teaching about storytelling and even just sharing between parent and child. This app is simply a must-download title for kids under 8. My highest recommendation!

Note: Not available for iPad 1

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