TRAIL, MARTIM IS A STRONG BOY

A young boy goes for a ride on his bike, exploring the world around him in this simple but engaging interactive story.

“Martim is a strong boy / who wanted to ride a long way.” From the very first page, readers must figure out how to move the story forward. Martim lifts the first letter of “strong” up and then points down to the word; readers experiment by tapping on the remaining letters and watch them fly up onto his shoulders one by one. Once Martim gets on his bike, he rides through a wet yard, along a smooth sidewalk, over a bumpy trail and more. The black-and-white illustrations have an appealing line-drawn quality, with plenty of white space in the background. Readers will enjoy the variety of interactive elements as they help Martim proceed through the story. The interplay among the illustrations, animation and printed words is thoroughly enjoyable, whether Martim is climbing the tall letters of “HILL” or bouncing “down” the blocky letters of the square’s steps. The assortment of sound effects adds interest. Although some readers may miss narration, its absence suits this app nicely for a read-aloud experience.

Delightful at every turn.