Price: $1.99

Monkeys in My Head: iPad App Written Review

Reviewed by Luke Patrick

It seems like every time we review a children’s application, we feel the need to mention how many of these apps we see on a weekly basis. We’re going to skip all of that rabble this time, though and instead simply say, “Here’s another eBook for your children, and it’s really quite good!” Of course, as this is a full review of Monkeys in My Head by developer Paper Plane Co., we can’t really leave it at that. So, keeping that in mind (or in head) you’ll find the rest of our review of this excellent children’s story on the iPad below.

Concept and Functionality

When it comes to children’s applications, they tend to take one of two forms. We see a lot of mini-game compilations, but the genre we much prefer are the straight eBooks for your kids. Monkeys in My Head is very much in this latter category. The app tells the story of a young girl with monkeys in her head. These simian terrors are preventing her from getting to sleep, and she very much wishes to have them gone. As the story progresses, she must trap each of the monkeys in her glass cage. It’s a lovely story, which we’ll talk more about in just a second.

All in all, the app is very basic, though this is hardly a bad thing. The pages can be turned with the click of a button, and the animations play automatically. We might have liked a little bit more interactivity, but at the end of the day, it’s very hard to argue with the fluidity and presentation of the app itself. Page turning is a breeze, even for small hands, and with read-out-loud capability, what more could we honestly ask for?

Design and Artwork

Monkeys in My Head for iPad

Best of all, the app looks absolutely fantastic on the iPad, too! It’s got a sort of Where the Wild Things Are vibe that we loved greatly, while the voice-over narration is spot-on. The animations are also quite good, though still we would have liked some touch-capability. On a side note to the parents, the story has some definitively creepy undertones to it. The book ends with the girl saying, “After all, it’s all in my head!” or something of the sort, which though we liked a lot, might creep out your younglings. Just a word of warning.

Overall Value

At the end of the day, Monkeys in My Head is easily one of our favorite eBooks for children on the iPad. We loved the story that’s presented here, as well as the artwork and the interface. The price is spot-on at only two dollars, and with heaps of interactive reading fun to be had, we can’t help but recommend it to you and your children for your next bedtime story. This one is solid gold, and easily one of our list toppers.

Monkeys in My Head requires iOS 5.1 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. A small expedite fee was paid by the developer to speed up the publication of this review.

The iPhone app reviews rating: