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I had the distinct pleasure of going down to Huntington Beach to catch Robby Armstrong’s act live. You wouldn’t believe the energy Robby exudes when he’s singing and playing on the guitar. Meet Emily Kilimnik, the awesome fiddler behind the music in Robby Armstrong’s original musical score he wrote, produced and directed for Samuel T. Moore of Corte Magore, my children’s picture book slated to release on 7/1/13. Robby Armstrong is one very talented individual and I can’t wait for you to hear the amazing music he created for a crab trying to find a home. Click Here to Watch Talented, Emily Kilimnik, on the Fiddle

Title: Be Confident in Who You Are

Author: Annie Fox

Illustrator: Matt Kindt

Publisher: Electric Eggplant

Format: iPad, iPhone

Rated: 4+

Current Price: $3.99

Synopsis: A group of middle school kids discuss issues that plague their age group.

Features:

• Musical Score
• Sound Effects

The Greasy Screen says: Usually on The Greasy Screen, we read ebooks geared toward the younger set, since my little Curly is my co-reviewer. But today, Curly took a break while I sat down with Be Confident in Who You Are, a Middle School Confidential graphic novel aimed toward tweens/teens.

Middle school… what a wonderful time, no? Suddenly your once peaceful world filled with playgrounds and playdates is transformed into stress over clothes and being cool. This ebook tackles many pressing issues for today’s tweens, including body image, self-esteem, and peer pressure, and presents them from a middle schooler’s point of view. It’d be hard to find a reader who has not dealt with at least one of the subjects at hand. I personally connected to the chapter dealing with an overweight girl, and another showing someone lose their temper at an annoying friend. Each chapter focuses on a different theme, with a group of friends suggesting ways to overcome their troubles.

The graphic novel format is very accessible, with readers having the ability to zoom in and out of every frame. There are nice, subtle sound effects that enhance the reading experience without overshadowing the content. While I don’t currently know any teenage children, I felt the content was helpful and appropriate without being dorky (as many educational mediums tend to be). Be Confident in Who You Are ends with a terrific message that I think readers of every age can take to heart – “There is only one way to be like them. There are a zillion ways to be like you.” I’ll have to hang on to this ebook for when Curly gets older.

Title: Spike and Orange Ball

Author: Allan Walker

Format: iPad, iPhone

Rated: 4+

Current Price: $0.99

Synopsis: A dog laments over his lost ball.

Features:

• Animation
• Musical Score
• Read-Aloud

The Greasy Screen says: Spike, a cuddly black dog, is sad. His “bestie,” a prickly orange ball, is lost, and his family is set to move any day. What will he do, he wonders, in a new place without his favorite companion?

We’ve all been in Spike’s shoes. Moving is stressful, especially when your most important items get misplaced. I have to say that hearing Spike lament over his lost friend pulled at my heart strings. “I never thought I’d lose a best friend,” he moans. *sniffle!* Read in a low, baritone voice that I often imagine would be the voice of my bulldog if she could talk, the ebook illustrates the small comforts of a dog’s life and how they, just like us, get attached to silly little things.

Spike and Orange Ball is a bit lacking in special features, but Curly and I enjoyed flipping through this story, particularly the final page which shows a photo of what I can only assume is the real-life Spike. This inexpensive ebook will make you smile.

Title: Wild Fables

Publisher: Razeware

Format: iPad, iPhone

Rated: 4+

Current Price: free

Synopsis: An interactive retelling of Aesop’s fables.

Features:

• Animation
• Interactivity
• Musical Score
• Sound Effects

The Greasy Screen says: Wild Fables takes some of Aesop’s most popular tales (The Crow and the Pitcher, The Fox and the Grapes, and The Lion and the Mouse) and brings them to life with innovative interactivity. Many ebooks use animation and sounds to enhance their stories, but few use these features to actually help tell the stories themselves.

For example, in The Crow and the Pitcher, a thirsty crow has to figure out how to get water from the bottom of a pitcher without getting trapped. He cleverly figures out that he needs to throw in rocks to raise the water level, and it is the reader who helps make that possible. As you drag stones into the pitcher, the water gets higher and higher, much to the crow’s delight. I loved this– it really felt like you were helping make the story happen. Curly liked it too; the ebook uses the iPad’s accelerometer to make objects move as the iPad changes orientation, and we both laughed at watching the characters slosh around the screen.

With the free download you receive The Crow and the Pitcher; the other stories cost an additional $1.99 each, with a promise of more stories to come. Wild Fables has great attention to detail, and while you may have heard the stories before, you’ve never seen them like this!

Title: Humpty Dumpty

Author: Dennis Hysom and Christine Walker

Publisher: PicPocket Books

Format: iPad, iPhone

Rated: 4+

Current Price: $1.99

Synopsis: A musical telling of the popular children’s rhyme.

Features:

• Interactivity
• Musical Score
• Sound Effects

The Greasy Screen says: Who knew that Humpty, a fragile little egg, could be such a source of strength and inspiration? In this eBook, Humpty’s story of falling off a wall is set to a music, but instead of being left on the ground, unable to be put back together again, the lyrics here encourage the clumsy egg to get back up and move on. “Pull yourself together, Humpty!” sings the song, and by the end, he’s skateboarding away. How can you not want to get up and cheer? Curly couldn’t resist the urge to bounce happily as we read; no fear of falling here!

This telling of Humpty Dumpty is taken from a previously released children’s album entitled Wooleycat’s Musical Theater, and it transitions nicely into an eBook. I really liked the audio clue of a “ding” when it was time to turn the page; it served as a helpful hint for Curly, who likes following the highlighted text featured in many eBooks, but does not always realize when it is time to move on. I didn’t expect to enjoy Humpty Dumpty, since most Mother Goose rhymes have been done to death, but this telling had a fresh spin that we both liked.

Turn your sunny side up and scramble to your feet if you’re looking for a pick me up that’s a little offbeat.

Title: Growing Up Together

Publisher: Sungsil Graphics

Format: iPad

Rated: 4+

Current Price: $0.99

Synopsis: A caterpillar and a sunflower become best friends as they grow up together.

Features:

• Animation
• English/Korean
• Interactivity
• Musical Score
• Painting
• Sound Effects
• Voice Recording

The Greasy Screen says: Growing Up Together is the sweet story of a sunflower seed and butterfly egg who meet each other on the ground, and spend their lives growing up and changing together. As they both continue to evolve, the other comments on their progress, remarking on the beauty of the other’s wings or petals. The story is educational, in that we see the stages of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, and how the sun and the rain helps the sunflower grow, but it also shows how two different things can work together.

Curly LOVED this eBook. The pages are full of bright, child-like illustrations that just explode with happiness. She laughed and laughed watching a ladybug crawl up the sunflower’s stem, and delighted in having the power to make a raincloud burst with droplets. I liked the story too, as the friendship between bug and flower was so peaceful, and seeing the big reveal of each organism in its final state was beautiful.

Gentle music and cute sound effects enhance the entire experience, and the animations are as brilliant as a rainbow. On one page, a vibrant sun streaks across the sky as the sunflower continues its ascent– lovely! I wish more eBooks were this saturated and gorgeous. There are plenty of extras, including the option to record your voice for the narration, but even without, we truly loved Growing Up Together and will be going back for more!

Title: Human Body Detectives: The Lucky Escape

Author: Dr. Heather Manley, N.D.

Publisher: PicPocket Books

Format: iPad, iPhone

Rated: 4+

Current Price: $1.99

Synopsis: Two sisters learn about the digestive system through an imaginative adventure.

Features:

• Read Aloud
• Musical Score
• Sound Effects

The Greasy Screen says: In The Lucky Escape, two sisters take an imaginative trip through their baby brother Robbie’s digestive track and learn about tummy troubles from the inside out. After Robbie swallows a penny, his stomach churns in pain, and the sisters get an up close and personal look at everything from stomach acid to gas bubbles.

There were a lot of things I really liked about this eBook. The narration voices are provided by actual kids, which gave an authentic touch to the whole experience. It was cute to hear young voices pronounce big words like “peristalsis.” The music and sounds effects also really added to the suspense and feel of the story as well, especially when the girls were sliding through the small intestines. One major drawback for me was the lack of illustrations throughout. Though there were some great drawings, they were only occasionally sprinkled in, and never with the text on the same page. The lack of visuals made it tough for Curly to stay connected to the story, though truthfully the content was probably a bit over her head anyway.

Any story that puts a creative spin on challenging topics is a winner for me. Though it lacked in illustrations, The Lucky Escape told a tale that was equally amusing and educational, which is quite a feat in itself.

Title: Cozmo’s Day Off

Publisher: Ayers Animation

Format: iPad

Rated: 4+

Current Price: $3.99

Synopsis: Cozmo the alien treks through the stars during his commute to work.

Features:

• Animation
• Games
• Interactivity
• Read Aloud
• Musical Score
• Sound Effects
• Voice Recording

The Greasy Screen says: Just by looking at the screen shots of Cozmo’s Day Off, there is no doubt that it is an exquisitely produced eBook. The story of a little alien frantically trying to get to work on time is jam-packaged with lots of glitz and glamour. The illustrations are incredibly polished, and the interactivity is (sorry for the pun) out of this world. Every page was bursting with hidden animations; I particularly liked a popcorn popper spewing out kernels, and Curly liked anytime music would start playing. Much thought was put into where little fingers were apt to poke, and there wasn’t one disappointing screen.

There was, though, a bit of disappoint from this reader. Within the pages of Cozmo, mini games would randomly pop up, disrupting the flow of the story. I am not against games being packaged with eBooks, but it’s hard to focus on plot when you’re trying to figure out the mechanics of a game that just appeared on the screen. Even with the story being relatively short (10 pages), I found myself forgetting what Cozmo was trying to do in the first place. Curly seemed a bit confused too; usually when we read a story, she asks questions or repeats points of the plot. After reading Cozmo, she looked a bit blank.

Not to say that we weren’t entertained, because Cozmo’s Day Off offers a lot of fun extras. One super cool feature was the ability to record your voice, and then manipulate it to sound really high-pitched or slow as molasses. If only the games were kept as an option at the end, and if the story’s text didn’t disappear after being read aloud (to allow for more exploration, I assume), I am sure this eBook would be one of my top picks. As a playful app, it’s great, but as a book, I’m not so sure.

Title: A Present for Milo

Author: Mike Austin

Publisher: Ruckus Media Group

Format: iPad

Rated: 4+

Current Price: $2.99

Synopsis: Milo and his mousey friend engage in a topsy-turvy chase around the house, ending with a sweet surprise.

Features:

• Animation
• Interactivity
• Read Aloud
• Musical Score
• Sound Effects

The Greasy Screen says: A Present for Milo wraps up all the wonderful bits you’d want in a picture book in one irresistible package. This story was immensely entertaining, not only for Curly, but for me! Milo the cat and his tiny mouse companion chase each other through all the obstacles of their house; they bounce up stairs, slide on rugs, and skid through groceries. The interactivity is top notch; every page contains tons of hidden animations, many of which made me giggle (my favorite being a little alien-colored mouse who floats inside a toy space ship). Curly danced around when a piece of poked sheet music burst into song, and she laughed at the mice hopping on a trampoline.

The story is perfect for the toddler set. Just when you think Milo is trying to catch his quick little co-star for an afternoon snack, we find out that the two are actually the best of friends, who just love running through their maze of a house! The illustrations are simply adorable, and finding all the animations was equally as fun as listening to the story.

Give yourself a gift and download A Present for Milo!

Title: Marina and the Little Green Boy

Author: Antonio Vicente and Miguel Ordonez

Publisher: Genera Interactive

Format: iPad

Rated: 4+

Pages: 22

Current Price: $2.49

Synopsis: One night, Marina hears a strange sound coming from her attic. When she gathers enough courage to seek out the sound, she discovers a new and mysterious friend.

Features:

• Interactivity
• Sound Effects
• Animation
• Musical Score
• English/Spanish

The Greasy Screen says: There is so much to say about the cute and clever Marina and the Little Green Boy! The animation and interactivity is the best I’ve seen so far. The illustrations are so full of personality they almost don’t need animation, and yet, seeing them move about the page makes them even more endearing. Every page features lots of little critters to touch and bring to life, many of which advance the story. I especially loved the page where Marina imagines all the creatures that could be lurking in her attic, and Curly cracked up every time she touched the Green Boy– his roboty “bee boop bee” voice made her laugh and laugh!

But even without the animation, the story holds its own. When Marina meets her martian friend, she instantly wants to teach him all about her life. She introduces many foreign concepts to the Little Green Boy, such as eating what’s inside the refrigerator rather than eating the refrigerator itself, and that the toilet is not for swimming. Her parents, of course, are more hesitant to have their home invaded by an alien, but eventually, they all fall in love with a series of snuggly hugs. Aww.

I love all the customizable options of this eBook. Marina and the Little Green Boy is written in both English and Spanish, and readers can change the language between the two by simply tapping on the text. There are also some quirky sound effects and a bouncy musical score, which compliments the experience nicely, but can easily be turned off separately from the sound effects if the reader wants to concentrate solely on the words. Nice touch.

If you’ve been weary toward trying eBooks, Marina and the Little Green Boy is a great place to start!