Calling All Bug Lovers! Enter The Strange And Wonderful World Of Ants
The Strange & Wonderful World of Ants ($1.99) by Amos Latteier is an iPad app that will help you learn more than you ever wanted to know about ants! If you have always thought these are pesky little critters that invade your picnic, think again. Actually, they may be trying to teach us something about our own lives!
It is nice to find educational books that contain a teaching element and have a good life message. The Strange And Wonderful World of Ants teaches the reader how we can learn from those little creepy, crawly ants. Next time you see them scurrying across your kitchen counter, you may even think twice about smashing them!
There are three different reading levels in the book. The beginner level uses very simple words and it is the only level that reads to you. The intermediate and advanced levels contain more words yet are simple enough for elementary-age kids. All three levels have a similar story and end with a great message of building, communicating and cooperating with one another.
The reader will learn about various types of ants, their living quarters and weird habits. Each page has an info link where you can look up definitions of the words used in the story along with Internet links for more resources. Parents and teachers can also utilize the provided discussion questions.
The graphics are detailed pencil drawings that nicely illustrate the ant world. The music is relaxing and helps young people focus as they read the book. A neat little feature includes a realistic looking ant that crawls around your screen during the entire story. Her name is E.O. and she acts as your personal little tour guide which adds a nice touch!
Overall, this is a good educational app for children. The developer suggests the story is appropriate for children ages 6 – 12, and even younger with a parent. For all those parents out there who would like to see their kids do something other than playing games on the iPad, The Strange and Wonderful World of Ants is a great option.
