Time to dust those cobwebs off of the broom because Mickey is going to help your little one read all about his fright night adventure, in Mickey’s Spooky Night Puzzle Book.
Price: $0.99
Age: 2-6
Different features allow younger children to enjoy this app at any reading level.
Pros:
– Storyline features well-loved Mickey and the gang
– Easy to read and easy to play
– Mini-games to break up the story and keep kids engaged
Cons:
– There isn’t a lot of meat on this app’s bones and even young kids will bore quickly
Every year I mumble under my breath at the Halloween merchandise on the front aisles of my local big-box store, and complain to my children how it seems it appears earlier each passing autumn. I then get super excited that the Green Lantern costume from last year is finally in adult sizes and figure out where to get cute green shoes. Now you can prepare for Halloween without fighting over that last princess costume by reading all about Mickey’s Halloween foibles.
Mickey’s Spooky Night Puzzle Book is one of a large and growing group of book apps from Disney and while it was released last year it is gaining popularity as the leaves fall and the pumpkins get bigger and ripe. The story tells of Mr. Mouse and how he’s preparing for a Halloween party for his friends and goes on a search for his pirate costume. No spoiler alerts, but a sombrero and Mary Poppins make 
appearances.
Every few pages there was an easy puzzle to complete (thus the title of the app) that consisted of 6 large pieces that even my two-year-old could deftly complete. Hidden ghosts popped up along the way and play into a matching game at the end of the story. The narration was clear and the wording of the story was easy for young children to follow and understand, and I even had the choice to record my own voice reading the story. I can imagine that older children with reading skills would really love using their own narration.
And that’s it. Really. No flashy mini-games, no noisy music or sound effects, no fancy-shmancy graphic design. The app is just what it says it is – a book with puzzles. While the format on paper is a smart approach for keeping little ones engaged and learning, it is a paid download. We were bored of this app after reading it once which took all of 20 minutes max. Disney has produced some stellar apps that are free but this one misses the mark. I almost wanted to demand my money back!
I say skip this one and look for something a little more complex; save your dollar for the Halloween Candy Fund (because you know you’ll end up buying the good stuff and eating it all the night before).
