Oliver T Baker is a young lad in love with trees. His friend James Pendlebury thinks diggers are the best, but he is wrong, oh so wrong. Trees are the winners. They are great for lots of reasons – like being extremely nice to look at. They make great listeners, too – they never interrupt. And they give us air to breathe.
Trees are great for climbing. And did you know paper is made from trees? The leaves make food for both the tree and other animals, and you can tell the type of tree but its leaf. There's just so much to love about trees.
This gorgeously visual ebook is a fact book driven by a young lad who simply wants to share the wonder.
Fabulous graphics and a collage-style layout are a joy to meander through. Interactivity is moderate to low, depending on the page. While there were some good fun tappables and swipeables, I must admit, there were times I was tapping all over the screen with nary a reaction.
Pages can be easily scrolled through and there is a question mark for interactive hints, if needed. Lots of snippety and fascinating information make for a fun read, though the text content would better suit younger kids - perhaps aged 3 – 7.
I actually really like how the book has no background music, allowing kids the silence to appreciate sound effects and text. There is no capability to return to a menu, and no options, though this isn’t really a major issue.
My only criticism with this book is the twee narration by a female adult. Although she reads well, it just sounds so very very much like a woman talking like a baby and I think the book could have been taken to a whole other level if they’d had a real kid read the text.
Trees are Best: FACT is published by Hedgehog Lab and is available on iTunes for A$1.99.
