Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold: Top iPad Story Book App by Karen Guinn Robertson

Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold is the sequel of Top Pick Treasure Kai and the Lost Gold Shark Island. Once more award-winning children's book author Karen Guinn Robertson takes your kids on an amazing interactive adventure with a “Choose your Own Adventure Book" where your kids takes an active part in the story and decide how the adventure unfolds.

Fun Educational Apps TOP PICKS - - 4 Star Rating on Review for Dev

If you missed the first adventure, Treasure Kai is a young, smart and curious little boy who always talks and dreams about treasures. In this new adventure you and your kids go back in time to race to find the Seven Cities of Gold.

As Kai wakes up he discovers a treasure map and a clue in his pocket. Together with his friend Kate they start studying the map and as Kai touches the mysterious globe lamp he travels back in time to Mexico in 1540 where Francisco Coronado and his men are searching for the Lost Seven Cities of Gold. From there it is a race against the clock to discover the seven keys to the cities....

As the story unfolds, your kids will need to explore and face challenges. We at Fun Educational Apps as well as many reviewers at Review for Dev really enjoyed the new sequel and loved all the interactive features, realistic sounds effects, animations and beautiful illustrations. On each page there is something to discover! As with the previous storybook app we like the unique reading experience and high replay value it provides. A great book app that encourages and stimulate reading among children.

Overall, from our review and those from Review for Dev, Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold is a top storybook app that conveys a true adventure atmosphere. It is entertaining, educational and does a great job at engaging the reader and even helped develop reading comprehension as well as spelling. A Top Pick for Fun Educational Apps that will be a great addition to your iTunes library.

Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold is available for download via the iTunes App Store - iPad App...

And if you are looking for more feed back on this great storybook app we are glad to share the the view from the reviewer at Review for Dev. Opinions varies but overall the average rating is 4 star!

Lena L.: I am a mother of four active kids who works from home full time and also homeschools all four of my children. I use the Ipad on a daily basis to reinforce lessons for school work as well as allowing time for creative play with apps. I am always on the look out for the newest and greatest app.

Rating
What I liked	I enjoyed reading the book and progressing through the app. It was nice to see the interaction between the brother and sister in the story and them working together to solve the mystery. The graphics were beautiful and really made the story. The extras at the end were a great addition as well and really turn this into a learning app.
Suggestions	I kept waiting for more interactivity. While it was fun to click on elements in the story, it would be more engaging for some of the elements to include links to activate a learning component. Maybe clicking on the map and then a maze popping up for the user to find their way through in order to get to the next city would be fun. I know that younger children may not be able to complete such components, so maybe they could be turned on or off under settings.
General opinion	Congratulations to the developers of Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold for another great adventure. My sons age 8 and 9 loved reading this story. As a parent, I am always looking for apps that are fun and educational. I love that the app is an interactive book and also offers activities at the end for comprehension and spelling.

Valerie M.: I am a SAHM who demonstrates and instructs teachers, OT's and SLP's on technology. My husband is a quadriplegic with a background in computer programming & our daughter has CP but is very bright. We are always looking for innovative apps that are engaging & fun to use. We have eager kids of all ages to work with as we expand iOS use in rural MS.

Rating
What I liked	We all loved the professional narration of this app! The graphics were stunning and the interactions intuitive. Being actively engaged in the travel that the story took was especially fun.The option to scramble the chests gives the story infinite opportunity for customization. There are an amazing number of opportunities to explore beyond the book, including lesson plans, through the additional activities and links.
Suggestions	I love that the bubble narrations are all highlighted in chunks, however I was disappointed that the larger text on text only pages is not highlighted. It would be nice for struggling readers to have all text highlight available throughout, whether by word or phrase. It would be nice to add an option to read continuously for children with significant physical disabilities.
General opinion	This book will delight and engage readers of all ages. My husband and I enjoyed listening to the excellent narration as much as our daughter did. I would like to see improvements in being able to highlight text throughout. Additionally it would be nice if the book had the option to read continuously for children with motor disabilities.

Fides C.: I am a mommy to four beautiful kids ages 5 to 14. One of my children has speech and language delays. I am a home educator and I have a degree in Communicative Disorders. I am always in the lookout for good quality apps both for speech therapy and for academics.

Rating
What I liked	Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold is a fun story for the kids to read. My daughter recently read about Francisco Coronado in history class, and was really excited when she saw him in this game. Although the only thing historically accurate about this app is Francisco Coronado and his quest to find the City of Gold in 1540, it does bring a little history to life and sparks interest in learning more about it. Good graphics, a lot of interactive items, interesting clues, and a short memory game make this app enjoyable for the kids.
Suggestions	I thought, based on the description of this app on iTunes, that the user would play an active role in finding the treasure, but the only thing that the user really had to work on was help Kai get home by remembering the order the keys were found. I would love to see the kids play a more vital role and use their minds in the game like figuring out the clues themselves. I think the scene with the scorpion and spider would have been better if the kids were able to defeat the spider before moving forward in the book. I would like to see more historical facts spread throughout the app.
General opinion	Overall, this is a fun story app for children. It can be used to supplement a history lesson on the Conquistadors. It can spark interest in learning more about Francisco Coronado and what really happened in his search for the legendary City of Gold.

Danielle W.: I am a parent to two young boys and a teacher for young children with autism, so I am always looking for new apps to use! I have a B.A. In Psychology and a Masters in Applied behavior Analysis. I am very creative, fun, and energetic and love my job as a parent and a autism behavior analyst!

Rating
What I liked	I like the graphics and colors. I like the "How To" section as I was a little confused as to what I should be doing with this app at the beginning. I like the story that it is an adventure that kids can follow along with. And I really like that the app gives options to change the volume of music, sound effects, and turn narration on and off. It gives me the option to read it to my children myself and not use the narration. I also like that the app gives links to fun activities to do at home on the treasurekai.com website.
Suggestions	I think that the voices used to narrate bothered me a little. I felt like since the characters are children, then the narrators voices should be children as well. I feel that it would be more engaging for the children using this app. I would also like to see more interactive aspects of the app. Several pages have little things that you tap on the man and he waves his arms, or tap on the globe and it lights up. I would like to see more things like this! My children kept tapping things to see if they did anything.
General opinion	This app is very nicely made and has a fun/adventurous story line for children that is easy to follow. While reading the book, it gives a challenge to solve the puzzle at the end which makes it fun for the children to be challenged at the end. The story is fun for children and has great pictures and animation. I wouldn't suggest this app for children under 6 however. The storyline is more appropriate for a 6-10 year old to understand and work.

Nathalie C.: I'm a digital publishing consultant involved in apps for kids conception and improvment. I run an app review website, www.declickids.fr. I'm also a mother of 2 kids, the eldest one, Ulysse, helping me out with reviews. My secret plan is to make app's world better for kids all over the world, on app at a time (and your's is next !) ;)

Rating
What I liked	> The story is very nice, long enough for not-so-small kids, but not too much long either. > There is a lot of suspense in the story ans this is a very good thing for reluctant readers, who will be willing to keep on reading. > I liked the colorful graphics, that sustain the story very well.
Suggestions	> I'd like to see more interaction between Kai and Kate through times. > I'd like to see more history information and references melted into the story. > I'd like to see the storyline really change over time (rather than only be reordered). > I'd like the last memory challenge to be a little bit easier so that kids don't drop at once :-)
General opinion	I loved the adventure atmosphere in this story (even more than in the first Treasure Kai and the Lost Gold of Shark Island). I also loved the treasure chest and keys ideas very much (and so did my kid). My 10 years old even thinks this one is better than the first one.

Shelly M.: Teacher who loves technology. Avid reader. Analytical. Consumer of many Apps. I would love to have the experience of being an App Reviewer and the opportunity to 'test drive' Beta versions. Sharing my perspective would be so much fun. Thank you for this opportunity.

Rating
What I liked	Navigation via the arrows in the lower left and right portions of the pages works without a hitch. The narration is clear and well paced with appropriate intonation for each character . There is a read to me and an independent reading option. The music is appropriate to the theme and can be turned on and off. There are items in almost every screen that can be interacted with, i.e., the lamps, the Pterodactyl. The illustrations are professional quality and coordinated to the theme. The story line is engaging. The provides educational opportunities in history and geography. The riddles were fun
Suggestions	Sequencing issues: In the scene in the Grand Canyon if you click on Kai before the narration ends he pulls the needle from his bottom and transforms into an eagle and you don't know why. In the very next scene Kai is transformed into an eagle and the Conquistador Eagles are flying around him, but the narration states " When his (Kai's) beak touches the chest that the "Conquistador Eagles swooped in." In the Solider Ant scene, Kai was not always able to 'charge through the mound". The locket in the upper right hand corner would allow children to purchase another App without their parents input.
General opinion	The App is engaging, entertaining and has educational benefits. Having the sound effects work in both the independent and read to me mode is a nice touch. There is interaction between reader and almost every scene. There are a few hiccups in sequencing between the narration and the corresponding actions, and after the first couple of go-rounds Kai would not run through the ant mound in the Solider Ant scene. For boys and girls 7 -11.

Samantha M.: I am a mother to an adventurous two year old! I am always on the lookout for educational and creative apps for him. I am also a Kindergarten teacher looking for great apps for my all of my students whether it be for students with special needs, English language learners, or even struggling readers.

Rating
What I liked	I loved that this app was very interactive! My son(and I) loved finding items to interact with throughout the book. This helped keep his attention for a very long time when he would normally become distracted very easily! I also loved collecting the keys throughout the story. They were a little difficult for my son(2), but I had fun helping him out!
Suggestions	There's not much that needs to be improved in this app. The only suggestion that I can think of would be to highlight only one word at a time while reading instead of three or four words. It would help my younger students track the print much easier. Although not a major complaint, it would be nice for the younger audience.
General opinion	Again, Treasure Kai is not to disappoint. I loved this app just as much if not more than the first! Once again, this app did a great job engaging the reader and even helped develop reading comprehension as well as spelling. This is a great app from both a parent and a teacher's perspective!

Erin K.: I am a mom of two boys, ages 5 and 18 months. My husband is a high school teacher. I am currently in grad school focusing on technology in education. I enjoy trying out new technology and sharing my honest opinions.

Rating
What I liked	The artwork was very interesting and engaging. I really liked the way that the characters were drawn and there were a lot of vibrant and interesting colors that were used throughout the app. I enjoyed how the voice acting was done as well. It seemed well paced and engaging and the use of different voice actors was a nice touch.
Suggestions	I would really like to see more interactivity with the app. The fact that there were things that you could touch and they moved around was ok, but I was really expecting more from them. My son touched around on the first "page" but after that there was less and less exploration of the pages because it just didn't seem to engage him or spark more interest. Mini-games, beyond just dragging and dropping would be a nice addition and could really enhance a story like this. There was a lot of room for puzzles or simple games to be added and I was disappointed that they weren't there
General opinion	I would say that this as a slightly below average app. While the story was somewhat interesting there was little done to make it more engaging than an audio book. While there are some things done well in the app, I was left with a sense of wanting more. I have a level of expectations for book apps and this didn't really meet those criteria.

Misty G.: My name is Misty, and i am a married, stay at home mom of five. My kids and I are on the iPad several times a day playing games and reading books/articles. I am also an independent consultant for Pink Zebra.

Rating
What I liked	I loved the colorful illustrations. The pictures were full of detail on every screen. I enjoyed the areas of interaction throughout the story. The story was engaging, and I looked forward to what would happen next. The curriculum activities on the website are great way to tie the story into a learning experience across many different areas.
Suggestions	I enjoyed the narration, but I think it would be better if there were two people narrating. A male and female voice would make the story more interesting. This was especially true when both characters were supposed to be speaking at the same time, but you couldn't tell.
General opinion	This app is top notch. It is an intriguing adventure story that kids of all ages can enjoy. The illustrations are vivid and interesting, and there are many interactions throughout the story. I love the additional information available on the website. This app is the perfect combination of entertainment and education!

Julie P.: I am an ASHA certified Speech/Language Pathologist with 24 years of experience in multiple settings. I am currently using my iPad in a public school, serving children w/ special needs ages 6-13. It has become an integral therapy tool for me and I am excited about the possibilities for the future.

Rating
What I liked	Digital story books are gaining in popularity as the quality continues to improve. "Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold" is an example of the high standard that is expected from a digital story book. The "choose your own adventure" format is a favorite with young readers at this level, ages 7-9. I appreciate the extensive educational support materials available at the end of the story that are aligned to the Common Core Standards. I enjoyed this adventure just as much as I enjoyed Shark Island. The developer was able to maintain the high quality set in the first episode.
Suggestions	Because it is so appropriate for many markets, I think there should be more directions for novice users right at the beginning. Another concern is the peripheral role Kate has been given. In a future story, is there some way to have her become part of the story? It would be cool if they could solve a problem together through cooperation. I'm disappointed that the cost went up for this app, compared to Shark Island.
General opinion	Treasure Kai is a familiar name in digital storybooks. This episode sends the boy adventurer to the jungles of Central America in search of keys to unlock the Seven Cities of Gold. The art work and sound are professionally done and the expected features of interactive story telling are all included. This story can be enjoyed by parents with their children, but it also lends itself to the educational market, in both schools and home schools.

Disclaimer: Guest review from our partner Reviewfordev.com and Fun Educational Apps was paid an admin fee for its publication.

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Rating
What I liked	I enjoyed reading the book and progressing through the app. It was nice to see the interaction between the brother and sister in the story and them working together to solve the mystery. The graphics were beautiful and really made the story. The extras at the end were a great addition as well and really turn this into a learning app.
Suggestions	I kept waiting for more interactivity. While it was fun to click on elements in the story, it would be more engaging for some of the elements to include links to activate a learning component. Maybe clicking on the map and then a maze popping up for the user to find their way through in order to get to the next city would be fun. I know that younger children may not be able to complete such components, so maybe they could be turned on or off under settings.
General opinion	Congratulations to the developers of Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold for another great adventure. My sons age 8 and 9 loved reading this story. As a parent, I am always looking for apps that are fun and educational. I love that the app is an interactive book and also offers activities at the end for comprehension and spelling.

Rating
What I liked	We all loved the professional narration of this app! The graphics were stunning and the interactions intuitive. Being actively engaged in the travel that the story took was especially fun.The option to scramble the chests gives the story infinite opportunity for customization. There are an amazing number of opportunities to explore beyond the book, including lesson plans, through the additional activities and links.
Suggestions	I love that the bubble narrations are all highlighted in chunks, however I was disappointed that the larger text on text only pages is not highlighted. It would be nice for struggling readers to have all text highlight available throughout, whether by word or phrase. It would be nice to add an option to read continuously for children with significant physical disabilities.
General opinion	This book will delight and engage readers of all ages. My husband and I enjoyed listening to the excellent narration as much as our daughter did. I would like to see improvements in being able to highlight text throughout. Additionally it would be nice if the book had the option to read continuously for children with motor disabilities.

Rating
What I liked	Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold is a fun story for the kids to read. My daughter recently read about Francisco Coronado in history class, and was really excited when she saw him in this game. Although the only thing historically accurate about this app is Francisco Coronado and his quest to find the City of Gold in 1540, it does bring a little history to life and sparks interest in learning more about it. Good graphics, a lot of interactive items, interesting clues, and a short memory game make this app enjoyable for the kids.
Suggestions	I thought, based on the description of this app on iTunes, that the user would play an active role in finding the treasure, but the only thing that the user really had to work on was help Kai get home by remembering the order the keys were found. I would love to see the kids play a more vital role and use their minds in the game like figuring out the clues themselves. I think the scene with the scorpion and spider would have been better if the kids were able to defeat the spider before moving forward in the book. I would like to see more historical facts spread throughout the app.
General opinion	Overall, this is a fun story app for children. It can be used to supplement a history lesson on the Conquistadors. It can spark interest in learning more about Francisco Coronado and what really happened in his search for the legendary City of Gold.

Rating
What I liked	I like the graphics and colors. I like the "How To" section as I was a little confused as to what I should be doing with this app at the beginning. I like the story that it is an adventure that kids can follow along with. And I really like that the app gives options to change the volume of music, sound effects, and turn narration on and off. It gives me the option to read it to my children myself and not use the narration. I also like that the app gives links to fun activities to do at home on the treasurekai.com website.
Suggestions	I think that the voices used to narrate bothered me a little. I felt like since the characters are children, then the narrators voices should be children as well. I feel that it would be more engaging for the children using this app. I would also like to see more interactive aspects of the app. Several pages have little things that you tap on the man and he waves his arms, or tap on the globe and it lights up. I would like to see more things like this! My children kept tapping things to see if they did anything.
General opinion	This app is very nicely made and has a fun/adventurous story line for children that is easy to follow. While reading the book, it gives a challenge to solve the puzzle at the end which makes it fun for the children to be challenged at the end. The story is fun for children and has great pictures and animation. I wouldn't suggest this app for children under 6 however. The storyline is more appropriate for a 6-10 year old to understand and work.

Rating
What I liked	> The story is very nice, long enough for not-so-small kids, but not too much long either. > There is a lot of suspense in the story ans this is a very good thing for reluctant readers, who will be willing to keep on reading. > I liked the colorful graphics, that sustain the story very well.
Suggestions	> I'd like to see more interaction between Kai and Kate through times. > I'd like to see more history information and references melted into the story. > I'd like to see the storyline really change over time (rather than only be reordered). > I'd like the last memory challenge to be a little bit easier so that kids don't drop at once :-)
General opinion	I loved the adventure atmosphere in this story (even more than in the first Treasure Kai and the Lost Gold of Shark Island). I also loved the treasure chest and keys ideas very much (and so did my kid). My 10 years old even thinks this one is better than the first one.

Rating
What I liked	Navigation via the arrows in the lower left and right portions of the pages works without a hitch. The narration is clear and well paced with appropriate intonation for each character . There is a read to me and an independent reading option. The music is appropriate to the theme and can be turned on and off. There are items in almost every screen that can be interacted with, i.e., the lamps, the Pterodactyl. The illustrations are professional quality and coordinated to the theme. The story line is engaging. The provides educational opportunities in history and geography. The riddles were fun
Suggestions	Sequencing issues: In the scene in the Grand Canyon if you click on Kai before the narration ends he pulls the needle from his bottom and transforms into an eagle and you don't know why. In the very next scene Kai is transformed into an eagle and the Conquistador Eagles are flying around him, but the narration states " When his (Kai's) beak touches the chest that the "Conquistador Eagles swooped in." In the Solider Ant scene, Kai was not always able to 'charge through the mound". The locket in the upper right hand corner would allow children to purchase another App without their parents input.
General opinion	The App is engaging, entertaining and has educational benefits. Having the sound effects work in both the independent and read to me mode is a nice touch. There is interaction between reader and almost every scene. There are a few hiccups in sequencing between the narration and the corresponding actions, and after the first couple of go-rounds Kai would not run through the ant mound in the Solider Ant scene. For boys and girls 7 -11.

Rating
What I liked	I loved that this app was very interactive! My son(and I) loved finding items to interact with throughout the book. This helped keep his attention for a very long time when he would normally become distracted very easily! I also loved collecting the keys throughout the story. They were a little difficult for my son(2), but I had fun helping him out!
Suggestions	There's not much that needs to be improved in this app. The only suggestion that I can think of would be to highlight only one word at a time while reading instead of three or four words. It would help my younger students track the print much easier. Although not a major complaint, it would be nice for the younger audience.
General opinion	Again, Treasure Kai is not to disappoint. I loved this app just as much if not more than the first! Once again, this app did a great job engaging the reader and even helped develop reading comprehension as well as spelling. This is a great app from both a parent and a teacher's perspective!

Rating
What I liked	The artwork was very interesting and engaging. I really liked the way that the characters were drawn and there were a lot of vibrant and interesting colors that were used throughout the app. I enjoyed how the voice acting was done as well. It seemed well paced and engaging and the use of different voice actors was a nice touch.
Suggestions	I would really like to see more interactivity with the app. The fact that there were things that you could touch and they moved around was ok, but I was really expecting more from them. My son touched around on the first "page" but after that there was less and less exploration of the pages because it just didn't seem to engage him or spark more interest. Mini-games, beyond just dragging and dropping would be a nice addition and could really enhance a story like this. There was a lot of room for puzzles or simple games to be added and I was disappointed that they weren't there
General opinion	I would say that this as a slightly below average app. While the story was somewhat interesting there was little done to make it more engaging than an audio book. While there are some things done well in the app, I was left with a sense of wanting more. I have a level of expectations for book apps and this didn't really meet those criteria.

Rating
What I liked	I loved the colorful illustrations. The pictures were full of detail on every screen. I enjoyed the areas of interaction throughout the story. The story was engaging, and I looked forward to what would happen next. The curriculum activities on the website are great way to tie the story into a learning experience across many different areas.
Suggestions	I enjoyed the narration, but I think it would be better if there were two people narrating. A male and female voice would make the story more interesting. This was especially true when both characters were supposed to be speaking at the same time, but you couldn't tell.
General opinion	This app is top notch. It is an intriguing adventure story that kids of all ages can enjoy. The illustrations are vivid and interesting, and there are many interactions throughout the story. I love the additional information available on the website. This app is the perfect combination of entertainment and education!

Rating
What I liked	Digital story books are gaining in popularity as the quality continues to improve. "Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold" is an example of the high standard that is expected from a digital story book. The "choose your own adventure" format is a favorite with young readers at this level, ages 7-9. I appreciate the extensive educational support materials available at the end of the story that are aligned to the Common Core Standards. I enjoyed this adventure just as much as I enjoyed Shark Island. The developer was able to maintain the high quality set in the first episode.
Suggestions	Because it is so appropriate for many markets, I think there should be more directions for novice users right at the beginning. Another concern is the peripheral role Kate has been given. In a future story, is there some way to have her become part of the story? It would be cool if they could solve a problem together through cooperation. I'm disappointed that the cost went up for this app, compared to Shark Island.
General opinion	Treasure Kai is a familiar name in digital storybooks. This episode sends the boy adventurer to the jungles of Central America in search of keys to unlock the Seven Cities of Gold. The art work and sound are professionally done and the expected features of interactive story telling are all included. This story can be enjoyed by parents with their children, but it also lends itself to the educational market, in both schools and home schools.

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