Title: Petting Zoo (Animal Animations)
Developer: Fox & Sheep / Christoph Niemann
Compatibility: iPad / iPhone / iPod Touch // iOS 6.0
Size: 37.4 MB
Description: An utterly delightful digital playground. German-born illustrator Niemann's simple but not simplistic illustrations encourage the users to touch the screen and interact with 21 different animals -- an elephant in a bathtub, a crocodile with musical teeth, an absurdly flexible giraffe. Actually, many of the animals are absurdly flexible. Accompanying the minimally animated drawings are 3 melodies that sound a little bit retro -- '50s jazz, perhaps -- but fit the relaxed tone of the app perfectly.
Give this app to a toddler, and they'll squeal in delight. Give it to a kindergartner and they'll gladly explore. Their parents might not squeal, but they'll explore and smile.
Age Range: 2 through 8
Price: Free (for now, though it's also had non-free prices)
Link: iTunes