Overall : An incredible interactive story app for ages 4+. Nearly There takes us on an amazing journey following the adventures of two Irish Horses from West Cork Budley and Bishop who make new friends and overcome obstacles along the way. We are taught about the bonds of friendship, and overcoming obstacles against all the odds.
Nearly There is based on the storybook written by Johanna Connor and Gabrielle Byrne. It is beautifully illustrated by Johanna and Gabrielle who both have a background in Art and Design.
The story will capture the imagination of readers of all ages. From the very outset you are drawn into the picture and the story. Each page is bursting with interactive features from lightning noises to the various animals talking along the way. The sing-song tune is instantly memorable, but even more impressive are the authentic sound effects. The creaking of carts , neighing and whinnying of the horses , the clash of lightening and even the tumbling of stones are recreated with stunning accuracy.
One of the things that draws me to this book is that it has a distinctive style. Not only is it done with Irish accents, but it is done in a format that we don't often see in a story app. The narrative is delivered traditionally through a strip at the top of each page. In addition to this are several speech bubbles per page , and some touch-to-reveal sections that give interesting and sometimes humorous back-stories for the characters themselves. Kids are drawn to this as reading can become monotonous for them. My son loved the 'bubble' type text.
Nearly There teaches its readers about the bonds of friendship and deals with real life issues , such as growing old, in a way that children can relate to. We see animals that were once strangers become lifelong friends. We are shown that no matter your size or your background that everyone is equal in friendships.
The authors have included a colouring book section with 5 images to choose from. Each image can be saved and emailed as well.
A catchy tune is played at various times throughout the story and encourages the reader to sing along and get more involved as you turn the pages.
In the main menu you will find a link to a Map which illustrates the journey that Budley and Bishop take along their adventure in West Cork.
A very unique feature of this app is the photo album section included in the main menu. Here Gabrille and Johanna have added real life images of Budley, Bishop and many of the other animals they have encountered in their lives. It makes the whole story more meaningful to the reader and gives you a sense of a more personal connection to the characters in the story.
If you like storybook apps then this is definitely one for your collection. Any child who loves to read or likes animals with be captivated by this book and its uniqueness.
It is hard to find fault with this app. The only thing I would like to see in future updates of the app is the introduction of optional languages to read the books in and the possible highlighting of the text one word at a time as opposed to whole sentences.
We have 4 copies of this wonderful story app to giveaway. Please enter via our Rafflecopter at the end of this page.
If you would like to purchase the app now you can do so by clicking on this link iTunes Link. It is currently priced at £2.99 in the UK and $4.99 in the US iTunes store.
You can visit their Facebook page here Nearly There or you can visit their website by clicking on this link Creatures of Serendipity.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Nearly There is based on the storybook written by Johanna Connor and Gabrielle Byrne. It is beautifully illustrated by Johanna and Gabrielle who both have a background in Art and Design.
The story will capture the imagination of readers of all ages. From the very outset you are drawn into the picture and the story. Each page is bursting with interactive features from lightning noises to the various animals talking along the way. The sing-song tune is instantly memorable, but even more impressive are the authentic sound effects. The creaking of carts , neighing and whinnying of the horses , the clash of lightening and even the tumbling of stones are recreated with stunning accuracy.
One of the things that draws me to this book is that it has a distinctive style. Not only is it done with Irish accents, but it is done in a format that we don't often see in a story app. The narrative is delivered traditionally through a strip at the top of each page. In addition to this are several speech bubbles per page , and some touch-to-reveal sections that give interesting and sometimes humorous back-stories for the characters themselves. Kids are drawn to this as reading can become monotonous for them. My son loved the 'bubble' type text.
Nearly There teaches its readers about the bonds of friendship and deals with real life issues , such as growing old, in a way that children can relate to. We see animals that were once strangers become lifelong friends. We are shown that no matter your size or your background that everyone is equal in friendships.
The authors have included a colouring book section with 5 images to choose from. Each image can be saved and emailed as well. A catchy tune is played at various times throughout the story and encourages the reader to sing along and get more involved as you turn the pages.
In the main menu you will find a link to a Map which illustrates the journey that Budley and Bishop take along their adventure in West Cork. 
A very unique feature of this app is the photo album section included in the main menu. Here Gabrille and Johanna have added real life images of Budley, Bishop and many of the other animals they have encountered in their lives. It makes the whole story more meaningful to the reader and gives you a sense of a more personal connection to the characters in the story. If you like storybook apps then this is definitely one for your collection. Any child who loves to read or likes animals with be captivated by this book and its uniqueness.
It is hard to find fault with this app. The only thing I would like to see in future updates of the app is the introduction of optional languages to read the books in and the possible highlighting of the text one word at a time as opposed to whole sentences.
We have 4 copies of this wonderful story app to giveaway. Please enter via our Rafflecopter at the end of this page.
If you would like to purchase the app now you can do so by clicking on this link iTunes Link. It is currently priced at £2.99 in the UK and $4.99 in the US iTunes store.
You can visit their Facebook page here Nearly There or you can visit their website by clicking on this link Creatures of Serendipity.
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