Price: $5.99

Johnny Appleseed Review

Our Review

Johnny Appleseed is a storybook app from the developers at Ruckus Mobile Media. Although these developers are new to creating applications, Ruckus Mobile Media brings with them the books from the famed Rabbit Ears Library, known for incorporating award-winning stories, amazing celebrity narrations, and phenomenal music and art. These apps can be watched like a video or be read like a book, and one can make one’s own recording as well, and are universal apps. This specific app, Johnny Appleseed tells the story of this folk hero’s life vividly and beautifully, with the narration by Garrison Keillor being perfectly realized, as are all the other elements of this app.

I was so very impressed the first time I opened this app, struck by the water color illustrations and the music which accompanies the story as well as Garrison Keillor’s simply perfect narration. You learn not just about Johnny Appleseed’s planting apple trees across America, but about his deep love of animals and nature in general. The story can be beautifully slow and meandering, the prose being lush with description and emotion, really taking its time so one really gets to know Johnny Appleseed in a way I have never before experienced. The tone can be quite melancholy, and there are moments which are sad. Parents may want to keep this in mind if their young children are sensitive, but I think that this is an amazing app for all ages, from kindergarten all the way to adulthood. I don’t think anyone outgrows a good story, and it would be a shame if parents of older children assumed this app was just for kids still reading picture books.

This app looks equally good on my iPhone as it does on an iPad, and I really like how easy it is to read this book out loud with just a sentence or two per page. I do have one request, however, I really wish that if you needed to pause this video or close the book before finishing your place could be saved. The video is roughly 24 minutes long and the book has 73 pages. I was not able to finish either one without being called away. I do wish my place was saved when I left off, especially for the video. Having said this, I am truly grateful to have been introduced to these stories; their quality is as high as it gets for storybook apps.

By Age Range, By App Feature, Creativity, For Parents, High School +, Just For Fun, Language, Middle School, Preschool, Primary School, Reading, Reviews, Social, Stories

November 23rd, 2010 by Amy Solomon Share

Application Detail

Johnny Appleseed

Developer: Ruckus Media Group
Released: 2010-10-14 00:00:00
Price: $5.99

Description from the Developer

Ruckus Media Group will donate 100% of net proceeds ($1.39) to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for the sale of “Johnny Appleseed, told by Garrison Keillor,” from November 15-December 31.

Garrison Keillor tells the story of gentle Johnny Appleseed who roamed the frontier planting apple trees and spreading goodwill. Read along, play along, and record your voice with apps for families from Ruckus Media!

•READ the classic story!
•SEE the award-winning video!
•HEAR radio raconteur Garrison Keillor tell the story with musical accompaniment by bluegrass master Mark O’Connor!
•RECORD your voice reading to your child!

“For those moments when you want to add a little showmanship to story time, Ruckus Media Group offers a slew of storybook apps optimized for both the iPhone and iPad…. The entertainment value…is undeniable.” 4/5 rating – Macworld

"Great content goes a long way. So does great talent. Ruckus Media are one of the new, big kids on the block." – Wired.com, Geek Dad

Now this Parents’ Choice Gold Award video is digitally re-mastered and optimized for mobile media -- Ruckus Media introduces traditional storytelling for today’s ways of telling stories!

Perfect for families on the go, the award-winning animated story of Johnny Appleseed invites children to read the stories, play the videos, and—in a fresh and unique function—record their own or a loved one’s voice for personalized reading aloud.

Original production of Johnny Appleseed – Winner of:
•Grammy Award nomination – Best Spoken Word Album for Children!
Parents’ Choice Gold Award – Audio
•National Parenting Publications Award
•Humanitas Prize
•ACE Award nominee – Best Writing in a Children’s Special

At Ruckus Media we create stories for mobile devices that entertain toddlers to teens from their fingers to their minds, at home or on the road—and invite their imaginations to grow.

More classic stories for mobile media told by family-favorite performers from Ruckus Media and Rabbit Ears:
•John Henry
•Pecos Bill
•The Velveteen Rabbit
•Tom Thumb and the Knights of the Round Table

CONTACT US: For any technical issues, please email us at support@ruckusmediagroup.com. You can also find out more about us on our website: www.ruckusmediagroup.com. Thank you!