Hattie the bat lives in an old theater; she’s never seen a haunted house or spooky tree, but her sky is the vast space above the stage and she loves to fly among the rafters each night. Hattie’s only friend is the theater’s caretaker, Mr. Collins. A mystery play is schedule to be performed in the theater, and Mr. Collins asks Hattie to stay unseen, as to not scare the actors or the audience. Will Hattie be able to stay hidden during the entire play, and keep back the desire to make her grand entrance?
Hattie, the Backstage Bat is from the Auracle line of apps by Auryn Inc., and is based on Don Freeman’s book by the same name. Hattie, the Backstage Bat is available for the iPhone and in HD for the iPad. I would recommend this app for children ages 3 and up. There is quite a bit of text on the pages, and it is a longer story, so it probably won’t keep the attention of a child younger than 3. Hattie, the Backstage Bat is on sale for the Halloween season for only $.99 ($3.99 regularly). **I have one FREE promo code for this app below**. There is also a free, lite version for the iPad.
There are 3 ways to read Hattie, the Backstage Bat:
Read to Me – This reading mode is narrated karaoke style, each word highlighted when spoken. When the narration is complete, your child will have the opportunity to tap on objects in the illustration to see and hear the word of the object pronounced, helping to build word association and vocabulary skills. When your child is done interacting, just swipe your finger across the screen to turn the page.
Read Myself – This mode has no narration, allowing you or your child to read the story on your own. If your child gets stuck on an unknown word, just tap on the word to hear it pronounced. I love this feature for beginner readers to practice reading on their own; it helps them build confidence to read independently.
AutoPlay – This feature is read by narration, and the pages turn automatically; great if a little one wants to enjoy the story on their own without an adult’s help.
Check out the Personalization tab on the home screen for more cool features to enjoy the app further. Here you can rewrite and record your own version of the story.
The theme and mood of this story is very fitting for Halloween, or any other time during the year. I like how the illustrations were darker and blue/gray scale; it really plays nicely with the setting of the dark theater and the life of a nocturnal animal. Also, like with most storybook apps by Auryn, I love that you the reader have the choice to simply enjoy the story as it is, or take advantage of the ability to access interactive features for customization.
Hattie the Backstage Bat is a storybook app that immerses your child in an experience of a bat that has similar thoughts and desires of humans, while also assisting your beginner reader in building his or her vocabulary, and providing the tools for him or her to read on their own. Get this app before the price goes back up!
—>iPhone
—>iPad
Be sure to check out the other apps in the Auracle line of Auryn. Visit here to see my review of several other storybook apps from Auryn Inc.
Want more Halloween apps? Check out these apps here.
Disclosure: I do not receive compensation for writing this app review. Photos used are screenshots taken from my iPhone or iPad. Views expressed in this review are purely and only mine. Pricing was accurate at the time of this review.