UK-Harry and the Haunted House 1.8

The following is a review of "Harry and the Haunted House," a highly acclaimed interactive storybook that has garnered several prestigious awards, including a MOM'S CHOICE Gold Award, a PARENTS’ CHOICE Silver Honor Award, and the Editor's Choice Award from Children's Technology Review. This application offers a fully animated, interactive reading experience based on a charming tale that explores the theme of misperceptions and the ways in which fears can be alleviated, particularly for children with vivid imaginations.

"Harry and the Haunted House" is a twelve-page digital storybook combining engaging storytelling by Mark Schlichting—a creator of the renowned Living Books series—with sophisticated animation from Wanderful. The app features two modes: "Read to Me" and "Let Me Play." The former provides automatic narration with synchronized text highlighting, fostering early literacy skills and encouraging attentive listening without requiring constant tapping. Expressive voice actors read the text, making it accessible and enjoyable for young readers.

As noted by Parents' Choice in 2013, this interactive experience invites children to immerse themselves in a story where they can actively engage with animated characters and objects by tapping on them. The content is locally adapted for UK English, with characters speaking in British accents, enhancing cultural relevance. The narrative follows Harry and his friends on a quest to recover their baseball from a supposedly haunted house, with suspenseful yet child-friendly moments such as questioning unfamiliar sounds and encountering unexpected surprises through animated interactions.

Key Features:

• Available in both UK English and French languages, with easy switching from any page
• Twelve fully animated pages featuring detailed interactivity
• German story content accessible via in-app purchase
• Nearly every object on each page responds when tapped, bringing scenes to life
• All words are interactive, supporting extended vocabulary development and language learning
• Hidden animated elements, such as performing bugs, encourage exploration
• Navigation options include swipe or scrolling between pages
• Multiple settings allow customization for different children’s preferences
• Two interactive modes cater to different engagement levels: "Read to Me" and "Let Me Play"
• Parental tips provided to maximize educational value
• Additional learning resources include a 31-page classroom activities overview and a free preview of the full 58-page classroom activities guide available as an upgrade

Assessment:

"Harry and the Haunted House" exemplifies high-quality educational entertainment through its seamless integration of storytelling, animation, and interactive gameplay. Its design effectively promotes literacy, curiosity, and problem-solving skills in young learners while maintaining a safe and ad-free environment. For educators and parents seeking an engaging resource that combines fun with learning, this application offers substantial value.

Privacy Statement:

Wanderful emphasizes children's safety by designing apps that do not collect personal data or display advertisements. The app includes an optional German content purchase while limiting external links to parent- or teacher-specific pages. Analytics are used solely in aggregate to enhance user experience without compromising privacy.