App review: Dumbo: Disney Classics - A Wonderful Animated Story of Dumbo

Reviewed by Elena – I’m a SAHM who is trying to homeschool my 18 month old. I have a BA in Computer Science and Information Systems. My professional background is in quantitative analytics.

Details

Dumbo is an endearing story that is beautifully illustrated. The story follows Dumbo as he is befriended by Timothy the Mouse. Timothy tries to help Dumbo cope with circus life after he is separated from his mother. The two friends persevere until Dumbo discovers that he can fly. The story ends with Dumbo happily reunited with his mother Mrs. Jumbo and becoming a circus star.

This storybook can be personalized with a child’s picture and name in the “This Book Belongs To” label. The storybook can be enjoyed by younger children in Read to Me mode where the words are highlighted as they are read. Also, when tapping on some characters in the illustrations you can hear and see the name. There were a couple of interactive surprises like when the baby animals popped their heads out of the stork bundles after being tapped. Advanced readers can read on their own in Read By Myself mode. In addition, you can record your own narration. Background music and sound effects can also be turned on or off in settings.

There are three bonus activities for children to enjoy.

Coloring – There are six pictures to color. There is an option to zoom into each quadrant of the picture making it easier for kids to paint. The pictures can be saved to the photo gallery or emailed.

Puzzle – Each jigsaw puzzle has 3 levels of difficulty.

Calliope – Kids can listen, learn or play the calliope with Timothy the mouse.

What Elena Liked

The illustrations are colorful and beautiful. The controls are relatively easy to navigate. I like the message of Dumbo. I think that this story teaches kids to persevere in the the face of adversity and to always believe in yourself. The kids really enjoyed the story and kept asking for it.

Suggested Enhancement

The information section has a banner advertising other Disney apps with links to the app store. I would prefer that this was less accessible to children.