Reading stories to my children was the highlight of my day. There’s nothing more rewarding than to snuggle up with one’s kiddos to read a good book. I was delighted to get an invitation to review Elfishki and the Giant Cake.
My children are grown up but still I’m drawn to kiddie lit. The world of literature has evolved a lot in the last few years. Tell me, what happens when old school and technology collide? You get a super cool interactive storybook! This is precisely what I had the privilege of being introduced to with Elfishki and the Giant Cake.
Elfizz and Maggie are the two main characters in this story with very different personalities. They are Elfishkis – fairy tale creatures who live on the beautiful Rainbow Island in the midst of the Sparkling Sea. Some Elfishkis can fly like butterflies and others can swim like mermaids. What happens when Elfizz and Maggie must work together on a special project? They discover being different isn’t always bad and can be a good thing.
Each vividly colorful iBook page designs of Elfishki and the Giant Cake is sure to capture a kid’s imagination with characters like ghosts, pirates, cherubs, and a gargoyle. The cool thing with an interactive learning book is, you can read the story to your child, as in old school, or your child can listen and follow along.
Touch technology breathes life into Elfishki and the Giant Cake. Objects become animated or produce sounds when a child touches the screen. This amused the inner kid in me. I momentarily had a flash back to the early sound books I bought our children and recalled how much they enjoyed those (me, too). However, this interactive book is far superior and would’ve have been a huge hit with my own kiddos had the technology been available. The creator of Elfishki and the Giant Cake features an interactive game to boot where the child can create virtual cake. It can be saved and shared with family across the miles or on the other side of town. See the one I made?
Entertainment is one very important aspect of why we read to our children, but education is just as important. I like how easy it is for kids to learn standard language arts through questions asking – who, what, where, when, why, and how. At the bottom of every page are three questions which can help your child with memorization, vocabulary, and articulation. Three fundamentals to bridge early development for school readiness.
The only thing I disliked about the interactive book was the illustrations. This may not be an issue for you. If I had to base my purchase solely on the characters in the story then I would hesitate in selecting Elfishki and the Giant Cake for my children. The big plus is, I love the concept of fun and education coming together in this interactive iPad book!
Psst, Psst...one more thing I gotta share with you. I know you’re gonna want to know this, especially if you own an iPhone or iPod. You can get two FREE Elfishki adventure iBooks. Just click on these links to download them now to either or both for your iPhone and/or iPod: Elfishki and the Giant Cake and Elfishki and the Unwelcome Guest. Now, isn’t that cool?
Good-luck!
**DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. This review is based on my opinion and may vary from yours. Cathy Kennedy’s Blog will email the Sponsor provided promo code for Elfishki and the Giant Cake to the winner which can be redeemed in the iTunes store.** Thank you, Elka Palka Productions!