Sofia the First: Story Theater

By Disney Publishing Worldwide
Price $3.99
Age 3-7 yrs.

This fully interactive storybook app provides a wealth of touch-activated animation to go along with the beautifully illustrated story. On each page, touching certain elements causes them to spring to life, often with accompanying sound effects. The story, which can be viewed and read with or without narration, follows the opening storyline of the popular Disney Junior animated series, 'Sofia the First.' The app's story is narrated by ABC's Modern Family star Ariel Winter. It's a lovely, positive tale about a girl who becomes a princess when her mother marries a king, the anxieties and challenges that go along with perceived expectations, and the happy resolutions that occur when new family members pull together. The artwork, animation, and storytelling are all top-notch. In addition to storybook mode, there is a Puppet Theater that allows kids to record stories of their own creation using characters and backgrounds from the storybook while supplying the voices. The puppets can be moved around the screen during recording to add action to the scenes and reflect which characters are talking. The results, which range from charming to wonderfully silly, are always entertaining and can be saved to be played back at will.