The Real Life Adventures of Mabel and Lulu
by Apphaus Design Inc.
Are you an animal lover? Although my family happens to be a cat family, The Real Life Adventures of Mabel and Lulu still provided my little critic and I a number of connections and laughter as we read this interactive and engaging book. Prior to downloading I happened to visit Apphaus Design’s blog and found that during the holidays a portion of the proceeds from The Real Life Adventures of Mabel and Lulu would be given to the Mabel and Lulu Spay and Neuter Fund. This hit home as our own cat was recently rescued from a shelter and I am a huge fan of applications that give back to outside organizations that truly need help.
As you enter the application you quickly come to find out that your one download has provided you with two stories: Mabel Has to Go! and Lulu Goes On Vacation. Initially my intension for download was to supply my son with more reading opportunities via my iTouch. Little did I know that I too would get a kick out of listening to the book, have their musical tunes stuck in my head and begin thinking, “what does our crazy cat do during the day while we are gone.”
Like many interactive books, it can be used in multiple ways: read by the narrator, by a parent or child. The story is told from the point of view of two dogs. With bright, colorful pages, catchy music that triggered my son to break out in a body jig/dance, and a bird that likes to rhyme and cause problems, the fun just never ends. As you move throughout the book you will notice that several purple paw prints will appear once each page is read. With a tap of the screen the paw prints come to life. This is an option that can be manually turned off or on. At times it even appeared that some of the effects were 3D like. I can only image what our experience would have been like if we had an iPad.
This interactive book will continue to provide my son with enjoyment for a very long time. Without giving too much away to those that have not experienced this application yet, as my son read, Mabel Has to Go, I do not think he truly connected the title with what the story was really going to be about. It was very entertaining to see the look on his face as he watched Mabel do the “potty dance” and to see these two adorable dogs turn into super heroes. I even chuckled while reading Lulu Goes On Vacation when the author made suddle insinuations to an expensive pair of shoes. As you can see, it was certainly worth the download for our family and I believe it will for yours too! We would however love to see in a future update an option to have the words highlighted as the narrator talks. By adding this option, it will provide beginning readers the opportunity to begin to visualize words and where they are on each page.
Two adorable dogs and their amazing adventures, proceeds of your download helping others, connections with your own animals, and lots of laughter. What else can you ask for in an interactive book? You can read more about Apphaus Design by visiting their website. Or you can find this application in your iTunes library here.
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