With the iPhone app ($2.99) the classic book comes to life on your iPhone. At first I wondered why I would want someone to read the book to me, but I was quickly drawn into the narrator’s spirited reading of the children’s tale, along with the sound effects and strategic zooming in and out of the classic red, white and blue drawings of the book.
It’s a smart iPhone app too. Words are highlighted as the narrator reads to increase word recognition with youngsters. In the read-it-yourself version, simply tap the copy to have it read to you, and in both versions, tap the various images on the screen and the word for that image will pop up and is said aloud if the copy is done playing. The iPhone app controls are child-friendly; they just need to swipe the screen to easily flip to the next page of the book.
A fun game to play with little ones is to go through the reading of the book, then have them try to imitate the narrator’s voice as they read the book themselves. Hours of fun! “The Cat in the Hat” iPhone app is also a great way to perk up story time before hitting the hay. Plus, you can keep this book handy in your handbag or pocket, versus lugging around a hard-copy version. And considering the iTunes App Store is charging $11.99 for the audiobook version, this iPhone app is a bargain at $2.99!
