Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Features, Appidemic
Of all the legends from American folklore, John Henry is easily my favorite. I’d like to think it’s because I’m a steel drivin’ man, or at least a natural man, but unfortunately, I just don’t believe either of those is true. Rather, I think it’s because I appreciate the story of a man who stood up to the corporate machine, letting his fellow workers know their toil and sweat are worth something. Granted, John had to die to make his point, but what great legend doesn’t include some sacrifice.
What is it?
John Henry is a new app from Ruckus Media Group, but you’ve possibly seen this before. Remember those Rabbit Ears cartoons from the mid-90s where celebrities read classic children’s stories set to some stylized animation? Well, here you go. This one is Denzel Washington reading Brad Kessler’s version of John Henry, with music provided by B.B. King.
That stellar lineup makes for a fun read, but I’m not sure I really want “fun” in the tale of John Henry. I’d love to hear Denzel handling Terry Small’s solemn by very rhythmic interpretation of The Legend of John Henry from 1996, but this version is perhaps better for younger audiences.
How does it work?
You have three options for learning the legend of John Henry. First, you’ve got the Denzel Washington / B.B. King combo, which plays along like a cartoon with pans and parallax scrolling bringing Barry Jackson’s illustrations to life. You can also choose to read the book yourself with no animation or audio.
And finally, you can record yourself reading the book to play it back at any time. This is a bit disjointed, however, as you have to record the book page by page (you can’t just read straight through), then hit play on each page to hear your voice. It’s good as practice for young readers, and could make a great gift, too (I could have my parents record themselves reading the book so they could—in effect—read to their grandkids at night when they’re not even there), but you likely won’t use this feature if you’re in the same room.
Is it contagious?
John Henry is a well made app that provides options for however you want to expose your children to good literature and important figures from American folklore. Kids will have fun with this version of the story, and you can use it to introduce them to the bigger themes within. I’ve been reading the story of John Henry to my children since before they were in kindergarten, and although I still prefer that printed version we have sitting on the shelf, I’ll happily let Denzel take over when I’m not around.
Now, here’s hoping Ruckus releases Holly Hunter’s reading of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” and Jeremy Irons’ reading of “The Steadfast Tin Soldier,” as those were easily my favorites of the series.
| Category: Education (literature) Developer: Ruckus Media Group Cost: $3.99 Download: John Henry (designed for both iPhone and iPad) |
Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »
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