Rapunzel Classic Story HD Review

Rapunzel Classic Story HD is a nicely illustrated and faithful adaptation of the classic Grimm's tale of the same name for the iPad.

I have always enjoyed the story of Rapunzel and the moral ambiguity of a man stealing important vegetables out of a neighbor's garden to feed his sickly pregnant wife who would surely die without his intervention. I am glad that this app got it right, including the details about the theft of the rapunzel vegetable, a detail that is sometimes modernized or changed in some way. This app, true to the original story, may seem intense for the youngest readers who may not be ready to think about their moms or pregnant women in general dying without their needs being met, but I like how this important detail makes the couple sympathetic as they turn over their child to the witch next door, a promise that was made when the man was caught stealing from the garden. I also appreciate how the witch promises to treat the baby she takes from the couple as a mother would, since some translations of this tale explain that the witch locks the girl in the tower not out of evilness, but out of being super over-protective in a motherly fashion and the addition of the witch treating the baby the way a mother would touches upon this.

I really like the sophistication of the way this app looks. The colors are muted and beautiful, the illustrations are very nice as well, with a mature look not found in many storybook apps. I do wish the text was larger as it would be easier to read, so I am glad that listening to this story is an option. The narration of both Rapunzel as well as KwiqApps's first story book Goldilocks and the Three Little Bears is read by the same older woman who brings a sincere and grandmotherly quality to these apps that I like. The auto turning of pages is also an option that my son always enjoys. This app will also save your place if you need to walk away before finishing the story - a nice touch.

I like that this app would appeal to grade schoolers as well as to younger children. The style of illustration and narration makes this a very enjoyable story book. This is KwiqApps second app based on classic tales, I am interested to see if they continue to develop more story apps in the future, classic or original.