Recently, I was pleased to discover a number of Hong Kong-themed children's books for my little ones. It was only when Jackie Junko appeared on my radar that I realised that my children's screen time had very little local content. The Jackie Junko app fills this gap admirably. The first in a series of 10 e-books featuring the character Jackie Junko, The Old Shipyard, was developed by Springy Thingy, a creative design firm set up by a Hong Kong-based husband and wife duo who have experience of children's entertainment, the gaming industry, teaching and the arts. The 15-page interactive storybook is set in a fictional harbour called Aberdeen, with lots of familiar sights from around Hong Kong, including the skyline, the different kinds of boats and some local and not-so-local species of fish. The tale follows a little boat called Jackie to school from where he and his sidekick Ping embark on a little adventure. The app was designed for children from three to seven years old and comes with a Read to Me function for younger learners. At present, it is only available for the iPad, but other tablet platforms will follow. The illustrations are extremely charming and have interactive elements, which are a requisite for all touch-screen e-books for young children. The boats bob up and down when touched, the fish can be controlled with a swipe and other creatures move, bubble and emit sounds when prodded. These interactive elements were even enough to keep my two-year-old son engaged, and although he might not have absorbed every word that was being read, I was surprised that he wasn't continually hitting the button to turn the page as he often does with non-interactive e-books. The app is also a great way to guide your children's spirit of adventure. Verdict: an engaging read with just enough interactive elements to keep kids hooked. Jackie Junko is priced at HK$15 from the App Store
