The iPhone app store is full of overly complex games, impressive apps and all manner of silly and serious software, but now and again something comes along that stops the world for a 6 year old girl. That girl is my daughter Alice and every night for the past few days she has been transfixed by the The Boy Giant.
The Boy Giant is an animated story which plays itself out on the iPhone, and one which has all the ingredients that a child’s book needs; humour, an engrossing story, beautiful illustrations and above all the right pace and length. The giant boy in the story is called Hujo and he is ironically born to Mr and Mrs Small which sets the tale off in the manner in which it delightfully continues.
The animations are sensitively implemented and the humour made my 9 year old son and I laugh out loud the first time we played it to Alice. You can choose to read it yourself or have it read to you which I personally prefer because the narrator has a much better story telling voice than I have. She just sits there transfixed as the story plays out and it is a joy to behold for a proud Father.
I now have a new weapon in my battle to make her behave (being naughty means no Boy Giant) and this is a simple app which is fun for the whole family. Even my 9 year old happily sits there listening to the story, although he doesn’t like to admit it, and I have to say that I have been more than impressed by the releases from Wotsamaflip for the iPhone so far and look forward to many more in the future, as does my daughter.
Available now on the App Store for a mere £0.59 / $0.99.
The funny thing is that there’s an Intl English & a US English version once you start the app, but the narrator is the same. The only differences are a couple of words like:
Intl English US English
nappies diapers
roundabout merry-go-round
football soccer
I forgot to mention that it is indeed & hugely entertaining story – in every way.