Restricted Adventures of Raja

This is one of those rare apps that is both free and fully featured without ads.  It has been produced by an animal-focused charity based in the USA.  Its geographical origins do not matter as its message of empathy to other people and animals is universal.

The app is in the format of an e-book with extra features.  It tells of a hero coming to Earth in the, unexpected to him, form of a cat.  This is a fun story-telling device that allows the animals' feelings to be communicated clearly to the reader.

The story is told in a beautifully drawn comic-book style, both colourful and characterful.  The panels and portrayal of the character's actions are very well designed and many advance the story without needing any text.  Others use speech bubbles to show the interactions between the characters.  It is nicely judged.  The app is suitable for a broad age range as it neither requires a well-developed reading ability nor does it appear to be aimed only at very young children.

As the story is told as a comic rather than in prose, the story is better suited for use between an adult and child reading together.   That being said, it will still be useful and accessible for a teacher to use with their class by mirroring the device to a large display.  In both these cases, the adult can address the marked points in the story for  further consideration.

These points take the form of golden icons shown in the relevant comic panels.  Tapping on them asks questions about the feelings of the characters or teaches further facts.  All of these, and the story as a whole, are intended to prompt children to empathise with the characters and animals in the story.

Teachers will already be used to extracting further thought from stories but parents will appreciate the useful guidance given at the start of the story.  This explains how to question and prompt children to think more deeply.  Teachers might also gain some inspiration here.  As a bonus, there is a complete lesson plan available for download from the app's own website.  You do have to leave your email address for this, however.

The whole experience is rounded out by a simple activity where children try to rescue animals before an approaching storm arrives.  This employs the empathy and common sense highlighted within the main story.  It isn't a game in the strictest sense, but it forms a pleasant conclusion to the story.  It gives a star rating and can be repeated to get a better score as children learn from repeat readings of the story.

This is a great app to add to a school's or parent's devices and not just because it is free.  It offers a message that not many other teaching resources cover.  It fulfills the role of a reading book, a lesson's focus, or a bedtime story very well indeed.

You can download Restricted Adventures of Raja on your iOS devices from the Apple App Store.