This week in apps features a number of holiday-themed apps, including Jan Brett's The Night Before Christmas, Arthur Christmas Movie Storybook, and The Berenstain Bears Trim the Tree. Other apps this week include Look Again Jr., Jolly and Roger's Misguided Adventures: Quest for the Dragon Tear, Roxie's a-MAZE-ing Vacation Adventures, and Elmer and Rose.
Title: Jan Brett's The Night Before Christmas
Publisher: Pearson PLC
Release date: November 8, 2011
Price: $4.99
Background: Jan Brett's interpretation of The Night Before Christmas comes to life in this deluxe app with animated versions of her art, interactive elements on every spread, and text read by Jim Dale, narrator of the Harry Potter audiobooks.
Features: Includes a conversation with Brett on the origin of her art and her inspiration for illustrating the poem. Swing Christmas stockings with a swipe, press the elves to hear them giggle, and create wintry sparkles with a finger touch.
Title: Look Again Jr.
Publisher: Smappsoft
Release date: November 18, 2011
Price: $1.99
Background: Based on Smappsoft's Look Again!, this puzzle game teaches children to see and understand the relationship between objects and classify them based on their common usage, colors, shapes, or quantity.
Features: 120 levels, sticker reward system for creative interludes, voice instruction from children for children.
Title: Jolly and Roger's Misguided Adventures: Quest for the Dragon Tear
Publisher: Unicorn Labs, LLC
Release date: November 22, 2011
Price: $0.99 (regualrly $4.99)
Background: This app tells the story of dueling pirates, a witch's curse, and a boy who dreams of becoming a pirate.
Features: A treasure chest with over 70 surprises, Read to me mode, Read it myself mode, hand-drawn artwork, hidden touch-activated surprises, bonus end animation sequence.
Title: Arthur Christmas Movie Storybook
Publisher: FrogDogMedia LLC
Release date: November 30, 2011
Price: $3.99
Background: This app reveals the answer to the question of how Santa delivers all of those presents in one night.
Features: Read to me, Read to myself and Auto Play modes, apply digital stickers to Arthur's face to make him look like Santa, Countdown to Christmas Meter that tells you how many seconds left until Christmas.
Title: Roxie's a-MAZE-ing Vacation Adventures
Publisher: oc graphics
Release date: November 30, 2011
Price: $0.99
Background: A combination of a maze and "search and find" puzzle game. Players have to find their way through cityscapes and other landscapes with cars, planes, boats, and balloons.
Features: Players search for letters, penguins, numbers, ice cream trucks, and other surprises.
Title: The Berenstain Bears Trim the Tree
Publisher: Oceanhouse Media
Release date: November 30, 2011
Price: $0.99
Background: Join the Berenstain Bears as they decorate their Christmas tree in their first ever "lift-the-flap" app.
Features: Background audio, enlarged artwork and lift-the-flap surprises; individual words can be highlighted and words zoom up when pictures are touched.
Title: Elmer and Rose
Publisher: Oceanhouse Media
Release date: November 30, 2011
Price: $1.99
Background: Elmer and his new friend Rose star in a story that questions what it means to be unique. When Grandpa Eldo asks Elmer and his cousin Wilbur to help a young elephant find her way back to her herd, they get a surprise when they see she is pink.
Features: Background audio, enlarged artwork; individual words are highlighted as the story is read and words zoom up when pictures are touched.
