PAT THE BUNNY
by Dorothy Kunhardt & illustrated by Dorothy Kunhardt & developed by Random House Digital
Pat the bunny these days and he feels just as soft as ... an iPad?
Although it doesn't have the sensory elements that made the original book unique at its publication, this app provides interactive features that are accessible and engaging for the same age group. Sensibly, the developers did not try to replicate the classic but rather extend it. Instead of touching the fuzzy bunny belly or Daddy's scratchy face, kids are given iPad-appropriate interactive opportunities accompanied by Kunhardt-style images. The narration leads readers through individual frames in which children can do such activities as pop bubbles, play peekaboo (finding a new expression each time they lift the cloth), turn out the light and even apply shaving cream to Dad's face. Kids will love the narrator's offer to do it again (and again) after each activity. Touch the bunny in the upper-right corner to access a visual menu of all the activities; once they are, touch the bunny in the lower right, and it becomes a touch-screen coloring book. Users have the option of recording their own voice reading the text, and the simple controls make this app navigable for little ones.
While adults who grew up with this book might be disappointed by the app's textural limitations, children will enjoy interacting with the familiar characters. (iPad storybook app. 2-4)