Oh No, Santa's Lost His Presents

A big part of Christmas for children is the atmosphere of the season.  This app aims to enhance that feeling and would make an excellent story for children to end their Christmas Eve in bed or the last story of the school term before the Christmas holidays begin.  

This seasonal storybook-style app has a fresh and modern look but one that is unmistakably 'Christmassy'.  Wintry scenes, sleighs, reindeer, presents and Santa himself are presented on the animated pages of the story.   Even if it isn't a snowy night, in reality, the crisp chill of a magical Christmas Eve escapes from the pages of the story.  The style is consistent and beautifully rendered as it follows Santa at work through the night of Christmas Eve and the disaster of the lost presents. 

There is something of a vintage quality to the story as it is told in rhyming couplets that form a soothing rhythm for the reader and listener.  This evokes classic tales from old story books and adds to the traditional feel.  It is read out by a clear, English-accented narrator and written on the screen in words. Parents, if they like, can choose to be the ones to read the story to their child.

The typeface of the text is very fitting for the style of the book but it would have been nice to have the option to choose a less-stylised version.  Young or less-able readers may well find it difficult to read in its cursive and serifed form.  Don't let this put you off, though, it is just a small point considering the app's purpose and subject.

It is easy to navigate through the tale of Santa finding his missing presents.  A swipe or tap on the screen moves the story on to the next page or goes back to the previous one.  There are only two other options: whether to have the music on or off and the same choice for the narration. 

There is a limited amount of interactivity.  Presents can be moved a little by tapping on them, and, at the end, the reader puts the found presents into the sleigh.  On the whole, however, this is purely a story for reading or listening to  and no worse for this.  The moments before sleep are not the time for stimulating activities and challenging tasks.

It's fair to say that there is a limited window of use for this app. It is reasonably priced, albeit a little short at only 10 pages, but it will add the perfect finishing touch to a child's Christmas Eve.  After mince pies have been left, presents wrapped and stockings hung, bedtime can continue in the spirit of the season with this story.  Maybe it will help them to sleep until the big day arrives -  but it makes no promises in this regard!