iOS – CookieCoo Dancing Star – Review
A great musical game for toddlers with the added benefit of built-in learning and cordination potential
Developer: WooonginThinkbig
Price: $0.99/£0.69
Version: 1.1
Released/Updated: January 20, 2012
Size: 172 MB
Rated: 4+
Our Ratings
Graphics/Sound: 4/5
User Interface: 4/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Re-use/re-play value: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
What Is It?
An excellent musical game for toddlers allowing them to join in or just watch.
Is It Easy To Use?
Yes, well it needs to be as it is built for children after all. It is an excellent app and you will see that as soon as you have downloaded it. There are various ‘albums’ to select initially, these consist of very well known nursery tunes, such as ‘head, shoulders, knees and toes’. Following your song choice you then get the option of selecting a level mode, from just purely Watching, to Easy, to Normal and finally Hard.
We really like the option of Watch in here, we are aware of many children who find these style of apps hard to keep up with and can get frustrated, perhaps notably those with a learning difficulty but they still want to be involved. The Watch level in this app really gives them that added value and we applaud the developers ingenuity here.
Then you get to select your instrument, the choices are drums, cymbals and tambourine.
Lastly, select your character to sing, each character has been fantastically created and they are excellently drawn.
Press Start and the selections are loaded. Your new screen opens as basically you need to tap one of the three ‘windows’ at the bottom of the screen when the notes land on them. Feedback is good, and the app lets you know whether you are performing ‘perfectly’, or just ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Of course, you only get these feedback responses if you have selected either the Easy, Normal or Hard settings, not the Watch setting. Each level is timed but there’s just enough pressure to ensure the game is fun without causing anxiety to build up.
As you progress through the game it gets slightly harder in order to keep you engaged.
Is It Fun?
Yes, very much so, if you are in the correct age group for this app, we would say below aged 5 then we’re sure you will think so too.
Is It Pretty?
Indeed it is, the graphics are excellent with just enough detail, the colors also are wonderful.
Should You Download It?
Yes, without question, if you have a toddler and you need to keep them amused for a short time, such as waiting at the doctors surgery, or similar, then this is the app for you.
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
