Today's Good Free App of the Day has lovely artwork, some tongue-in-cheek humor and an Aussie narrator!
** Only the app's developer can control when an app is free or not. All apps that we post as Good Free Apps of the Day are verified to be free at the time of this post. We make no guarantees otherwise. **
Australian developer, Blue Quoll, has so far brought us two fairy tale apps that are delightfully different from the run of the mill offerings I often look at. Mr. Wolf and the Ginger Cupcakes is a great version of Red Riding Hood and with this app we get a fresh look at the classic Puss in Boots story.
The artwork is really lovely. The story starts in the past and the colors are muted. A little kitten is an ogre's greatest treasure but floats off and lands in the bedroom of a small boy.
Switching to the present the colors become much more vibrant and we see that the boy and kitten are now all grown up.
They convince themselves they are possessed of great musical talent, a delusion which has unforeseen and potentially fatal consequences...
I love the sense of humor displayed in the book, especially from the characters' speech bubbles which are best discovered in Read it myself mode.
There is also a very nicely narrated Read to me version. In the information section accessed from the home page you can turn down or turn off the music and select a language from English, French, Spanish, German or Italian options.
From iTunes:
Puss in Boots will captivate readers – young and old – with his unforgettable adventure, brought to you by Blue Quoll Digital, the AppStore-featured developer widely recognized for their superbly illustrated, interactive Mr. Wolf and the Ginger Cupcakes.
Jump into The Great Adventure and find out what happens when the cunning Puss in Boots and his friend, the Marquise of Carabas, become a disastrous banjo-playing, song-singing duo able to frighten away entire realms! Enjoy the exhilaration when Puss embarks onto an incredible adventure – crossing windy forests, wading turbulent rivers, and challenging a menacing, shape-shifting Ogre to save his friend. Follow-along as the Ogre and Puss in Boots are linked by an ever-so endearing secret.
The Great Adventure is a wondrous, interactive experience that transforms, reinvents and rejuvenates this timeless classic, making it one of the most entertaining children’s stories for the iPad and iPhone.
Blue Quoll Digital’s Puss in Boots, like its predecessor, Mr Wolf and the Ginger Cupcakes, treats readers to exquisite illustrations, captivating narration, original tales and enchanting interactivity. The company’s mission is to create the best stories that parents and children can enjoy together.
Features
An unforgettable story that feels both classic and fresh
Hand-drawn illustrations spanning 40 full-color pages by award-winning illustrator Lucia Masciullo
PopUp Tap and Discover feature allows your child to interact with and explore each page uncovering funny balloons and hidden sounds (there are hundreds to discover!)
Occasional thought and speech balloons to show exactly what characters are thinking or saying
Catchy musical score composed expressly for this book
Translation and narration in five different languages including English, Italian, French, Spanish and German
Irresistible secondary characters including the runny-nosed bard and the hoarse tenor
A funny, colorful, kid-friendly interface that’s extremely easy-to-use
Universal adaptability which looks stunning on any device
Listen to characters including Puss in Boots, the Ogre, the King and the Princess. Read The Great Adventure to your child or have it read to you. You can even turn pages at your own pace while you listen and follow along!
The Great Adventure is the ideal bedtime and playtime companion, with its non-invasive PopUp Tap and Discover interactivity. Let the giggles, chuckles and laughter ensue. Download Puss in Boots, The Great Adventure, today!
Deanne Shoyer is the mother to twin boys on the autism spectrum, blogs at smallbutkindamighty.com, has two history degrees and looks a lot less hip than her avatar.
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Every day we pick what we affectionately call the Good Free App of the Day, an app that we have downloaded, tested and certified: It can't have a ton of ads or just a little content with in-app purchases.
It also has to be good.
We then present them to you to read, download, and share and, based on which ones got the most hits from you, here are your Top 100 Free Apps for Kids! Enjoy!Please also see our Top 10 Preschool Apps (staff picks), Top 10 Free Apps for Learning Letters, Deanne's Top 10 Free Apps for ASD Kids, Top 12 Apps for Mom, Editor's Top 10,Reader's Choice Top 10, and Top 10 Addition Apps.
(** indicates that the app contains in-app purchases/is very closely tied to a purchase or has ads)
1) LEGO App 4+ (build a vehicle and then use it in activities)
2) Open Wide Snap (we rated five stars)
4) National Geographic Explorer
5) ** Toddler/Preschool Flash Cards (warning! now has ads!)
7) Hide Run Growl (we rated five stars)
8) Little Stars - Toddler Games (letters, numbers, shapes, colors, words)
9) Play 123
11) ** Playful Minds: Math (5-8 years old)
12) Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally Appisode
13) ** Build a Word Express
15) Little Writer - Tracing Letters, Numbers, Words and Shapes (awesome app)
16) Learning Games for Preschool to Kindergarten
17) ** Curious George at the Zoo for iPad (now only one area free, the rest in-app)
18) Rover (flash-enabled web browser for kids)
19) Disney's Jake's Never Land Pirate School
20) Scholastic's Sushi Monster (addition and multiplication)
21) I Can Write 2 (make sentences about images)
22) PBS Kids Video (all their favorites, U.S. only)
23) ** Brain Quest (from the people that make those card thingees)
24) ** Thomas & Friends - Engine Activities
25) Collins Big Cat Story Creator books (eight apps!)
26) Miss Spider apps (Bedtime Story and Tea Party)
27) Toca Kitchen Monsters (all kids need Toca Boca)
28) ** Goodnight Safari (baby animals!)
29) Rocket Speller
30) ** Toontastic (we rated five stars)
31) ** Scribble Press (make an book!)
32) ** Puzzingo
33) Touch the Sound
35) Lego Duplo Jams
36) Little Finder
37) Color Uncovered (please don't let your dog drive)
40) Bluster! (McGraw-Hill)
41) ** Math Vs. Zombies
42) ** Spy Mouse
44) ** Let's Color (drawings come to life)
45) ** Alphabet Tracing
46) eggzoo
48) Rocket Math Free (free version of one of our Top Picks)
49) Green ABCs (previously cost $30)
50) Monster Physics Lite (five star app)
51) ** BrainPop Featured Movie (No. 1 on our Editor's Choice list)
52) Story Creator
53) Kids Learning - Photo Touch Learning Concepts
54) ABA Flash Cards & Games - Emotions
55) ABC Mouse Zoo Sets 1, 2 and 3
56) Buzzle
57) 6-in-1 Children's Games (lite version)
58) ** Sock Puppets
59) ** Monkey Drum (do you need more than a monkey with a drum?)
61) ** MeeGenius (six ebooks for free!)
64) Lego Duplo Zoo
65) Scooby-Doo Whos Are You? by Hallmark (Zoinks!)
66) Feel Electric (The Electric Company is back!)
67) ** Booksy (one of our Top Picks)
69) Tim and Tom
70) Kids Learning - My First Numbers Counting Game
71) Wood Puzzle Brain Challenge
75) Jack and the Beanstalk (modern version of the classic tale)
78) Sprout's Good Night Star (nighttime routine, brusha! brusha! brusha!)
79) Stewie The Duck Learns To Swim
80) Chipper's Rainy Day Adventure
81) ** BrainPop Jr. Movie of the Week
82) ** Motion Math - Hungry Fish
83) Little Stars - Word Wizard
84) Adventures of the 7Wonderlicious Girls (girls doing their best, helping others, being brave, learning and feeling good about themselves)
85) Fisher Price's Laugh & Learn Animal Sounds
86) The Land of Me - Story Time
87) JibJab Jr. Books
88) Fisher Price's Lets Count Animals
89) Bean Bag Kids present Little Red Riding Hood
90) Astrid & Siri
91) The Lorax Truffula Shuffle (U.S. only for some reason)
92) Squiggles (bring scribbles to life, one of our Top Picks)
93) Kraft Macaroni & Cheese - Dinner, Not Art
94) The Icky Mr. Fox/Mr Fox and Mr. Rabbit
95) Hallmark's Christmas All the Way
97) Little Bird's Internet Security Adventure
98) PaddleDuck Color and Story App
100) Mini Mining
We've done our best to only include apps that are permanently free, but sometimes developers do change their minds, so please leave a comment if you find an app that's no longer free.
(** indicates that the app contains in-app purchases/is very closely tied to a purchase or has ads)
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