App of my eye: PicPocket puts picture books on iPhone

My family loves books, traditional books, that is. We don’t do e-books, because we like flipping through the pages – dog-earing a few – and using just the right bookmark to find our place.

Then we tried the PicPocket Books app for the iPhone/iTouch. PicPocket offers downloadable picture books for kids ages 2-8.

Publisher Lynette Mattke says the apps aren’t meant to replace print books or time spent reading to your children. They can actually help enhance the reading experience, she says. “Our apps offer a ‘learn-to-read’ feature where the text is highlighted as the word is spoken, encouraging the connection between the written and spoken word.”

We tried three PicPocket titles.  Here’s a summary of each and what our tiny testers thought:

• I Can Do It Too, by Karen Baicker, with illustrations by Ken Wilson-Max. ($2.99 on iTunes)
  What it’s about: A little girl who wants to do all the things that grown-ups and big kids do: bake cakes, ride bikes, button her clothes the right way.  To prove that she “can do it, too” she mimics what she sees.
  Soon, she feels confident enough to pass along her big-girl wisdom to her younger sibling.
  Did kids like it?: My 4-year-old found a kindred spirit in the heroine: They’re both barely out of diapers, on the cusp of being big and have a new baby in the house. Now that she’s got the wind in her sails, my daughter is ready for what’s next: learning how to tie her shoelaces and chewing “buggle gum” without swallowing it – just like everybody else.
  

• What A Pest, by Maryann Cocca-Leffler. ($2.99 on iTunes)
  What it’s about: A big sister who thinks her little sis Jessie is The. Biggest. Pest. Jessie follows her big sister everywhere, intrudes on her private time with her best friend and even learns her sister’s talent-show dance routine.  Aarrgh! “Why does she have to do everything I do?” she wonders. But it takes a small emergency for Big Sis to see Jessie in a new light.
  Did kids like it?: This one hit home for my 7- and 9-year-olds, who treat their younger sister as Bis Sis treats Jessie. And just like the book’s characters, they learn that they actually can get along.

• A, My Name Is Andrew, by Mary McManus Burke, with illustrations by Donna Ingemanson. ($0.99)
  What it’s about: A tongue-twisting, multicultural journey through the alphabet: Andrew, from Augusta, picks apples with Aunt Adrienne in August. Oki lives in Oakland with a pet opossum, Orino, who wears outrageous ornate overalls and plays the oboe.
  Did kids like it?: All three girls loved this one, and it was my hands-down favorite. We loved the author’s choice of words, which were descriptive, funny and perfectly matched with the whimsical illustrations.
  

Mom’s verdict: I’d whip out the PicPocket app in a heartbeat to keep my 4-year-old busy and to help her with her reading. These little gems really come in handy while waiting in the doctor’s office or while traveling.

DISCLOSURE: Mombeat received promo codes for each book.

Check It Out: Book Reviews for the Little Literati

Here's what I'm reading this week with my baby bookworms:

Lulu's Pajamas (Kids Can Press, $16.95), by Lucie Papineau, with illustrations by Stéphane Jorisch.

Lulu loves, loves, LOVES her favorite jammies. They're super soft and they smell realllly good. When Lulu decides that she never, ever wants to take them off and wears her pj's to school, she endures teasing from her friends and other surprises that she doesn't quite plan on.

Lulu will likely remind you of someone  – your own Little Miss/Mr. Independent, maybe? Young readers usually enjoy seeing themselves in Lulu; my children sure did. What's funny, however, was that my older kids, ages 9 and 7, were quick to say that Lulu reminded them of their 4-year-old sister. How soon they forget!

I especially loved how Lulu's Mama and Papa responded to her assertiveness (read: borderline tantrum). It kinda reminded me of Bill Cosby's approach to parenting – funny AND effective. For ages 2-6

Big Bear Hug (Kids Can Press, $16.95), by Nicholas Oldland.

Bear can't help himself: He hugs every animal he sees in the forest, even the ones he's supposed to eat. Big animals, tiny ones, scary or stinky ones; doesn't matter to ol' Bear. But he loves hugging trees more than anything else. When a man with an axe walks into the forest, headed for one of the tallest and oldest trees, Bear has to decide if he's going to be his same old lovable self or become Big Bad Bear.

We're big on hugging at my house, so we welcomed Bear and all his affection. My 7-year-old highly recommends this book for bullies and other people who might need a big hug. We also appreciated Bear's sweet efforts to protect his habitat.  For ages 3-7

Me and You (Kids Can Press, $16.95), by Geneviéve Coté.

Two animal buddies, a pig and a bunny, wish they could trade places. Pig wants white skin and a fluffy tail, while the bunny wants pink fur and a twisty tail. They go through a laundry  list of things they love about each other and even change their appearance with paintbrushes and props. By the time they're done with the makeovers, they learn to be comfortable in their own skin, which is a great lesson for readers of all ages. For ages 2 and older

DISCLOSURE: Mombeat received free copies of each book, which were donated to the Prosper Community Library in Prosper, Texas

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