GIGGLY SPIDER

Eleven big, brightly colored animals, uncomplicated special effects and a minimal text combine for a delight for the diaper-clad.

A smiling blue spider emits a cheery sound (more a chirrup than a giggle) at a touch, then on the next screen can be moved around with a fingertip to create a web that traps a passing fly. Likewise, in successive scenes a squawking chicken drops an egg, a cow moos and chews, a blinking pig flings mud at viewers and a waggy dog lunges up to lick the screen. At the end, a sleepy child’s eyes close as a blanket is pulled up, Mommy (or, in an option chosen at the beginning, Daddy) delivers a kiss and, in a closing nighttime scene, taps turn out each of the lights. The text, in English or Dutch, runs to a single word or phrase per screen, and low-volume sound effects or snatches of music accompany small-scale animations that are both easy to start and easy to see. The titular spider's eight eyes all roll adorably, for instance, and a butterfly delicately unfurls its proboscis to sample a flower's nectar.

A low-key app that’s not overloaded with digital bells and whistles—and so all the better for quiet sharing with very young children.