Hilda Bewildered

Gr 6 Up—Hilda is the name of a princess who's nervous about delivering her first public speech. It's also the moniker of a pickpocket who crashes the event and steals a royal ring. This somewhat surreal story requires readers to decide which parts of the tale are real and which are fantastical. As with the other interactive fictional offerings from Stace (The Artifacts, Midnight Feast), Hilda encourages readers to experience the story in a flexible way, as they consider its themes of imagination and identity.The app rewards exploration. The more time viewers spend on a screen, the more they will discover. Rub-to-reveal pages offer a second image under the first. Persistent tapping presents layers of dialog. Words appear on the screen, then float up and away until they're out of sight. Hands holding a cell phone rise from the bottom of one page to take a photo of the crowd waiting for the princess to deliver her speech. The app is a feast for the senses—jewel-toned pages shimmer in and out of view; static characters are given the illusion of movement; and color, music (by Chris Hurn), and sound effects change to mirror the mood and tempo of a scene.Tweens and teens are sure to appreciate Hilda, but don't hesitate to share it with adults, who will also be enchanted by this atmospheric, hard-to-define story. A protected icon on the menu page leads to page-by-page illustration and teaching notes, where the author/artist discusses her decisions about color, visual angles, language, setting, and music, and offers commentary on the app's themes. Another icon leads to an offer to purchase the three Slap Happy Larry apps, including Hilda, in a bundle.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library