Barefoot World Atlas: Great Cities (Crane) © David Dean.

Barefoot World Atlas. Version 3.0.3. $4.99. ––––. Great Cities ––––. International Football. ––––. North America. ––––. Puzzles. ––––. World Art.

ea: Nick Crane. illus by David Dean. Touch Press/Barefoot Books/Royal Geographic Society. 2013. iOS, requires 7.0. $1.99 ea. In-app purchases.

K-Gr 5 –Barefoot World Atlas delighted users when it was launched in 2012, and they now have a reason to return to app. Five extension packs are available, offered individually as in-app purchases.

“Great Cities” and “North America” are excellent supplements to the information found in the original app. Colorful icons correspond with 100 cities across the globe in the first extension pack, and the states and provinces in the US and Canada in the second.

The Little Mermaid sculpture represents Copenhagen, skyscrapers signify Tokyo, and Boston is home to Fenway Park. The soothing background music changes to reflect the different geographic regions as users swipe the screen to spin the globe. Tapping on an icon will open a live feed of information that includes the time, weather, and population of a particular location.

The “Puzzles” are organized by region and continent. The objective for each is the same; tap and drag the shape of the state, province, or nation to the correct location on its corresponding country or continent map. At times, the angle of the globe, coupled with the scrolling menu of shapes at the bottom of the screen, makes viewing a bit difficult, but users may zoom in and out to change the angle. For children who enjoy a bit of competition, there’s a timer and score card at the top of the screen.

Consider the “International Football” extension a must purchase for soccer fans as the 2014 World Cup approaches. Tapping on uniform icons will reveal information about each of the 209 soccer (football) teams represented. A few facts about the history of the each team is included as well as their current FIFA ranking, trophies won, a photo of the home stadium, scores of recent games and upcoming matches, and the manager’s and team member’s names. Pictures of both home and away uniforms are provided. A click on the music icon starts the country’s national anthem.

The “World Art” pack is by far the most impressive addition. One hundred items have been “carefully selected” to show “how different cultures have created and viewed art, from prehistory to the present day.” Readers will learn about each object’s artist, dimensions, medium, and its current location. Background information on the piece is offered, providing additional context.

Throughout, the text poses questions, engaging children as it encourages them to consider an artist’s choices. For example, viewers are asked the following about Picasso’s “Guernica”: “Why do you think the painting is in black, gray and white, rather than in color?”

Children will spend endless hours with these entertaining—and educational— additions to the Barefoot World Atlas.– Cathy Potter, Falmouth Elementary School, Falmouth, ME

Jack and the Beanstalk. (Nosy Crow; $4.99). 2014. iOS, requires 4.3 or later. Version 1.0.1.

PreK-Gr 2 –The inimitable award-winning British publishing force has crafted an even more innovative approach to the traditional tale in its latest app. To describe the way it intersperses games using zooming, titling, and the camera within the narrative arc, let’s start with the story map, accessed from a tab on the homepage. It’s a visual menu and readers can consult it at any time. The narrative trail is depicted by dotted lines surrounding an image of a castle. Down the left side of the picture, it leads Jack from his home to the magic beans to the giant’s castle. The cross-section of the structure is situated in the center of the map, a three-story array of nine color-coded doors each leading to a different concept-learning adventure.

Players now become Jack and “stay in the castle” capturing gold coins, golden eggs, and whatnot as long as they like, and then “catch” the narrative thread back home.

When the story is spent, the ending changes depending on how many winnings Jack has taken away. Told episodically, and narrated by children in speech bubbles, the witty dialog can be repeated, adding a way for emerging readers to practice by repetition. Little signals and directives help players know when they can move on.

Kids will delight in their victories along the way and will practice counting, patterning, color knowledge, piano melodies–not to mention reading skills and the underpinnings of narrative structure–along the way.–Sara Lissa Paulson, Librarian, PS 347—“47”. The American Sign Language & English Lower School, NY, NY