Price: $5.99

A Present for Milo: A Touch-and-Surprise Storybook Review

Our Review

A Present for Milo is a lovely and fun interactive app for iPad from the developers at Ruckus Media Group. This book was designed especially for the iPad by graphic artist Mike Austin and lends itself very well to a multitude of places to tap, discover, and interact with. This story about a game of chase between cat and mouse friends is written with short, pithy phrasing and is perfect for young readers, but will surely entertain children and adults of all ages.

I am very impressed with the look of this app. The love that graphic illustrator Mike Austin used in crafting these pages is apparent. The colors are bight and vivid, and I enjoy the use of details and textures within these drawings, as well as the placements of objects in the various rooms that these crazy animals run through, adding to the feel of action and chaos they are creating while playing their game of chase. The interactions included are just as grand, and I like the fact that many times something different happens whenever you tap to interact with specific elements, and that the interactions can be performed an infinite number of times before swiping to the next page.

Just as impressive is the use of music and percussive sounds to further this story’s action. Interactions include tapping a piano to make sounds just as the mouse and cat did while running over the piano moments before, tapping sheet music to hear music samples, and tapping to hear the sounds of a metronome or musical key sounds when tapped as well. I find these noises, especially some of the drumming used to illustrate the running that these animals do in circles “around and around and around” especially well done, as are the choices made to illustrate this activity.

Without giving anything away, I enjoy the ending, which may come as a surprise to children, and I like the gentle message sent about friendship and that some of the best gifts one can give are not store-bought.

While searching for hidden hot spots, my son did have some issues with accidentally flipping pages back and forth without meaning to, and it would be nice if some visual clues was added, like triangles to show where to tap or avoid in terms of page turning.

This issue aside, this is a sweet and entertaining interactive storybook for new readers and adults alike.

Art, By App Feature, Creativity, Just For Fun, Language, Preschool, Primary School, Reading, Reviews, Stories, Toddlers

January 4th, 2011 by Amy Solomon Share

Application Detail

A Present for Milo: A Touch-and-Surprise Storybook

Developer: Ruckus Media Group
Released: 2010-12-08 08:00:00
Price: $5.99

Description from the Developer

Who’s knocking on the mouse hole? When mouse peeks out, he sees Milo…and off they go! Down the hall…through the kitchen…up the stairs…across the piano…around and around and around and around—Milo and mouse turn the house upside down as they scamper, pounce, jump and bounce through every room. It’s a spirited chase right up to the exuberant surprise ending! Every screen invites the user right into Milo’s world of toys, music, and mayhem—including a rocket, a UFO, a piano with keys that bash, paintings that jump from their frames and a giggly pack of mischievous mice.

With more than 80 tap-interactive objects that initiate more than 125 animations just right for active young fingers and minds, this interactive exciting cat-chases-mouse story is ideal for pre-readers and young readers alike. With simple vocabulary and sound-out words, A PRESENT FOR MILO provides a fun, engaging read-to or read-aloud experience at a terrific value. It’s perfect for pre-readers and young readers—all animations, narration and sound effects are activated by a simple finger tap or swipe.

It’s hours of fun with a thoroughly engaging story, animations, tap-able surprises and silly sound effects—a perfect digital storybook.

Here’s what the critics are saying:

"'Milo' raises the bar for interactivity within the book apps category, and its delightful surprise ending will have kids wanting to read it again and again" – USAToday.com

“I love it. Mostly I love the small details in the touch aspect that shows more innovation in the space - and better execution. The rocket, the musical notes and metronome...it is an eBook, with almost game like function - which is a great balance.” – Daniel Donahoo, Wired – GeekDad blogger

"A Present for Milo is infused with sheer joy. This infectious quality is the best thing about the new story app." Wired – GeekMom

"This app is a fun visual treat that encourages kids to touch everything they see on the screen." 5/5 Rating – Common Sense Media

“Amazing…the perfect book app to stimulate, engage and develop reading skills…. a high level of interactivity….fabulous animation. Ruckus Media is once more producing a top quality book app, an app in line with their goal to 're-invent family entertainment'." – FUN EDUCATIONAL APPS

Accolades include:

• Parents' Choice Award Winner: Mobile Apps
• About.com’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Award for “Best App for Kids”
• Mom's Choice Awards' "Best in Family-Friendly Products"
• “Best Apps Ever Award" Finalist (from 148apps.com)

To find out about Ruckus Media and our new apps:
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CONTACT US: For any technical issues, please email us at support@ruckusmediagroup.com. You can also find out more about us at www.ruckusmediagroup.com.