Zizu Cooks Up a Tune

Come along on a musical adventure with Zizu, an adorable zebra that just happens to be the mascot for the development group, Bubulu Labs.  Whether your child loves to bang on just about anything in your kitchen cabinets or happens to have a musical ear, Zizu Cooks Up a Tune might be just what you are looking for. It was recently launched within the App Store at the end of June for the iPad device running an operating system of 3.2 or later.  Within our educational system, a number of specialty programs tend to disappear when money is tight. Unfortunately, music happens to be at the top of that list.  Applicable2U truly believes that  children need different avenues to share and express their feelings and abilities besides the typical academics of math, science and social studies.  Of the many things that Bubulu Labs has to offer, you can be certain that your child(ren) will be given the opportunities for “creative play and open-ended exploration that seeks to spark a child’s imagination” as stated in the About section of this application.

When playing or cooking it up with Zizu, you can be one of two types of chefs: an apprentice or master chef.  A parent or child might find it useful to view the “options pan” before beginning.  It is here that users can set whether musical notes are shown and if a baby or magic mode should be turned on or off.  Zizu will welcome you into his colorfully animated kitchen of musical appliances. Simply tap on a googly-eyed friend and listen to the sounds it will shout out.  Try tapping multiple objects at the same time and see what new sounds you can come up with.  As the apprentice chef, the fun doesn’t stop there!   Zizu’s kitchen table has been turned into a piano and the black keys on a typical piano now look like loaves of bread.  On the refrigerator there is a reminder note which says “Playlist.” Initially an apprentice chef’s playlist will only have two songs: Twinkle, Twinkle and I am a Little Teapot. However, more songs can be added to this playlist for an additional download fee by simply clicking Zizu’s bug friend, the housefly, to see what other choices your little one can cook up.  A note to the developers – might it be possible to add an additional lock or parent password protection on adding more songs. With little hands in control of the iPad, Applicable2u is just trying to avoid the unwanted clicking or downloading capabilities.  Once the song has been chosen your little ones hand eye coordination will be put to work by following the location of our friendly housefly.  Be sure to keep on an eye on him though as he sometimes veers away from the piano.

Within the master chef mode, users can now step up their musical talents by recording their own songs. As the master chef, a user may want to explore the “options pan” once again to change the type of experience they will encounter.  The only difference now to the kitchen is the red dot in the bottom right hand corner. This button is the recording feature.  When pressed, a window will appear asking for a title of the song which will then be saved to the boombox.  Depending on your child’s age, a parent might need to provide some support in typing this in. As the master chef, you can now let your imagination run wild.  Not only can songs be created with the piano, but users can tap in the sounds of our friends from around the kitchen.  When complete, simply tap the pause button and a playback option will be made available. Within a master chef’s playlist, songs can be saved, replayed and deleted.  Turn the boombox up and let the movement begin on the dance floor as you rock out to your own creations.

Overall, Applicable2U would give Zizu Cooks up a Tune a thumbs up!  If you have little ones at home or at school, this application is applicable to you!  Whether we are in the grocery store or local mall, my little man loves getting his groove on.  It is an application that incorporates kid friendly songs, the ability to learn musical notes, develops ones love for music and also expands a child’s creativity and imagination.  If you would like to learn more about Uma Pandit and Bubulu Labs, then visit their website by clicking here.  If cooking it up with Zizu is what you are looking for, then click here to download Zizu Cooks up a Tune to your iTunes library today!