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Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! is a very nice storybook app for smart phones. I reviewed the Apple version for the iPhone.
This marks the 22nd Dr. Seuss ebook app/adaptation for Oceanhouse Media, and they have done a nice job trying to retain the fun and colorful world of the original books.
Kids can listen to the narrator recite the story, with each word highlighted in a read-along feature. Or they can read the story on their own, flipping pages, in a side-swipe motion. The interface is easy to work with and both little and adult fingers can swipe the phone’s surface to flip back and forth in the story. In that mode the reader can also tap an illustration on the screen and the corresponding words pop up and are read aloud, such as “tree,” “red,” “house,” etc. They can also select “auto play” and the book is played like a mini-movie.
The colorful illustrations by Dr. Seuss dissolve into the screen as the story is read, with colorful question marks added as prompts to the next line or next page. There are also fun sound effects that accompany the illustrations. My 7 year-old really enjoyed reading on her own and another time having the narrator read it to her, so I can see this app being used again and again.
Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! is a great way to entertain the kids, a very nice adaptation of a classic children’s book, and a fun way to increase reading skills.
