Paddle Duck in Where's Carrie Cat? An Interactive Story - Kids App Review - Fun Educational Apps for Kids: Reviews, Daily Deals and Giveaways

Paddle Duck in Where's Carrie Cat? Is a cute interactive apps for toddlers and pre-schoolers. Your kids will meet and join Paddle in his farm adventures! It is fun and interactive and stimulates your kids to learn, recite, and even dance.

Paddle Duck in Where's Carrie Cat? has been reviewed by several reviewers at Review for Dev. Overall, it is a very cute and simple interactive app for kids, well designed and parents will appreciate the special “childproof” setting to prevent accidental exit of the app. It offers cute characters, animation and colorful illustrations. Some of the best comments are: “the story is engaging and short enough to keep a toddlers attention throughout the whole thing.”; “The app is very well made, with cute characters and a very nice interactive story.”; “It is easy for a toddler/preschooler to play independently.”; “There are many positives included, which are common in interactive apps, but this one incorporates counting, following directions, and building fine motor skills”.

On the downside, the app is quite short and many users would like to see more features included for the price. Some comments are: “I wish this app had more for storyline because I felt it ended too soon”; “it would be a bit longer or have some more features. It is a great start for a wonderful” .

Below, you will find all the comments from the reviewers at Review for Dev.

Paddle Duck in Where's Carrie Cat? An Interactive Story is available for download via the iTunes App Store - iPad and iPad Mini App

From Review for Dev:

Jim B.: I'm a 20 year IT veteran and parent of 3 year old twin girls. I have written electronic/computer gadget and video game reviews for websites and the local newspaper in the early 2000s. Lately, ever since my twins started using the iPads, I have been checking out hundreds of educational apps, games, puzzles and interactive books.

Rating
What I liked	- Cute characters, animation and colorful illustrations - The hints (circles of stars) are good for kids who don't understand spoken instructions yet - Emphasized on counting 1,2,3 - The parents section that required a long press to access - Fun Paddle Duck Waddle song at the end
Suggestions	- I prefer swiping to turn pages rather than clicking the triangle. - The environments could be more interactive and it would be nice to be able to click on items and hear their names (sun, bee, flower, grass, tree, etc.) - Each word needs to be highlighted as it's being read - Clicking on the sentence should repeat the sentence - I could not tell if Paddle Duck or Gabby Goat was talking when they are together - need to have balloon text or something similar - Need to display words for the Paddle Duck Waddle song at the end or when the duck sang so readers/kids can easily sing along
General opinion	The illustrations were cute and colorful but the story was only so-so. It wasn't that interesting and did not make a lasting impression with my kids. For $4, I expected a bit more interaction and features such as highlighted+clickable text and clickable items that pronounce their names. The song didn't even display words for us to sing along. Overall, this is just an average book with some light animation and interaction.

Kristy Lee G.: I am the director of a company specializing in mobile technology, LadyBits Dev. We make iOS apps, mobile websites and traditional websites. We redefine awesome. Check out our website at www.ladybitsdev.com

Rating
What I liked	My nephew thought the bird popping out from the trees was hilarious! And when the duck fell over in the Paddle Duck Waddle, he nearly lost it. Loved it! The animations and interactivity were fun and engaging. Nice smooth transitions that don't look awkward. The graphics were engaging as well. Well done with the overall look!
Suggestions	My nephew is 2.5 and I feel like he would quickly outgrow this. It would be nice to see a bit more depth and options for growth. For example, if it had the option to count higher than 3 or count the lilypads. Maybe some hidden things he could find that would respond to his touch. He kept trying to press the duck's belly to tickle it as he has several talking character apps that do that. He didn't understand why that wasn't possible.
General opinion	In general, we loved it! The characters were cute and endearing, although I don't quite understand why a duck needs a paddle... But so cute! The animations were well done. The interaction was good (although could be expanded upon and further developed). All in all, my nephew and I loved this app!

Eric L.: I am an independent iOS app developer in the afternoon and an embedded systems engineer during the day. I created and maintain the iOS app GradeBook Pro (www.gradebookapp.com) and a few other, smaller, applications.

Rating
What I liked	The story is just about the right length to keep a toddler entertained and engaged. The interactive pages in the story are well done, with indicators for the child to know where to tap if they get stuck and good verbal feedback. The huge button on launch is great.
Suggestions	I couldn't find a way to exit the story and go back to the main menu (if there is a gesture to do this I missed it). The back arrow won't get you back to the main age because you get stuck in a loop with the page with the sunrise (and perhaps others). I would have liked to see a game or learning activity included with the story (would help justify the price, certainly).
General opinion	My daughter enjoyed this app, the story is engaging and short enough to keep a toddlers attention throughout the whole thing. A lot of care was taken to 'childproof' the app (long tap to access settings, no in app purchases, sharing is only accessible in the parents screen).

Nico D.: I'm a ex designer and full-time teacher so I have a very good perspective on design elements and user interface. I have been actively testing apps for more than 1 year. I can test educational apps with kids ages 2 to 10 and have there perspective. The most important thing for me is to correctly rate an app regardless of the money I'm getting.

Rating
What I liked	1. The first thing I noticed was the settings menu, very well done and can't be accessed by mistake when the kid plays alone. The long press thing is very useful. 2. The story is not too long and not too complicated fot a kid that's 4 years old. 3. The app is very colorful and interactive so hi likes it because be can be part of the story 4. The hints (colorful stars) are well made and can be seen very easy by the player. 5. The kid always dances when he hears the Paddle Duck song. He loves it! 6. I like the fact that you can go back if you missed something or want to replay something.
Suggestions	1. After playing the app for several days I can say that the price is too high. It should be 99 cents. The content is limited and the replay value is not one of the best, the kid gets bored and wants another story Ina couple of days 2. As much as I like the hints I would love to be a way to turn them off so the kid can play the app without getting any help, please make this possible in an upcoming version 3. One thing that caught the kids eye was the bee in the flower. After discovering it he wanted to do something interactive with it. Maybe it will become part of the story in a next version
General opinion	The app is very well made, with cute characters and a very nice interactive story. The parental controls and the funny song are also a nice touch. BUT the biggest drawback of this app is the price. It's too high for the content you are getting and the low replay value.

Paddle Duck in Where s Carrie Cat 2

Jessica B.: I am a mother of 2 and work as a speech pathologist in a primary and middle school. I have a variety of interests and love the world of technology. With the new iphone and ipad technology, I have found numerous ways to increase learning and excite children and adults. I am always waiting for the next app to show my students. Thank you.

Rating
What I liked	This interactive story had cute songs and illustrations with the story. I enjoyed the fact that each page had interactive items on it. The storyline and content was cute. I also appreciated the learning aspects within the story. Children can learn from these opportunities.
Suggestions	I would love to see more things interactive on each page. The interactive content is not shown to the kids, so they have to feel around to find it. It would be nice to have them blink or light up to help the toddler become more independent with the app. You could think about having the words highlighted as they are read to help young children begin to think about reading.
General opinion	Overall, this is a cute story with nice songs and animations. It is easy for a toddler/preschooler to play independently. Some additional educational content would be nice, such as highlighting words, extra games for vocabulary or counting. It is a bit expensive for a simple story. Added content and games would make it well worth the $4 price.

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	> I liked that the parents section is protected from little fingers by a long press (thanks) > I like the manu settings available (no music menu, different English accents, control over narration and sound effects. > I liked the learning notes. > I like the simple forms and great vivid colors. > I liked the interactivities (and the way they show)
Suggestions	> Some interactivities seem a little bit slow (paddle for instance). > Sometimes, when ou select too quickly a character afer one has already been selected, the sound cuts in a not nicely way (try to tap the goat, and then, vey quicky, the cat, for one example). > The storyline could be stronger. > The educational content could be stronger, or more focused.
General opinion	Overall, Paddle Duck in Where's Carrie Cat? is a nice interactive story for very very young kids. Biggest improvment would be to choose between a strongest storyline or more educational content, but as it is now, it's already a little story kids should enjoy.

Courtney D.: My name is Courtney and I am an SLP. I love working with children of all ages, but find I have a particular passion for children with special needs. I love technology and the impact it can have on the students in the therapy room.

Rating
What I liked	I love the interaction the user can have with the app. I love that the app allows for work with fine motor skills and allows for receptive knowledge building of vocabulary words. I love that through the interaction, the user is exposed to counting and following directions, as well. The graphics are engaging and realistic in nature. The voice of the narrator is easily understood in both versions available, as well.
Suggestions	I felt like the story was cut short in some ways. I'm not sure if it was because of the simplicity of the app, or because there was only a few steps incorporated in the finding of Carrie Cat. I think it would be more engaging to add a few more exploratory options. Would it be possible to have the user select An option and have different effects based on the selection? The song played when moving through the river is engaging; however, it ends before the duck stops moving. Is that intended?
General opinion	This is a relatively simple storybook app. There are many positives included, which are common in interactive apps, but this one incorporates counting, following directions, and building fine motor skills. I wish this app had more for storyline because I felt it ended too soon, but overall, an app with great potential!

Lori H.: I am a kindergarten teacher and mother of a fantastic toddler. i currently live in Georgia and am an avid technology enthusiast. i run my school's website and have for the past 5 school years. I love apple products, but am well spoken in PC as well.

Rating
What I liked	This app was colorful and entertaining. The music pulled my almost two year old in. The characters were welcoming and had just the right amount of animation without going overboard. I also liked that there was more to do on each scene than just what was expected. My son really enjoyed seeing the fun things that would happen by pressing the lily pads, flowers, characters...etc. We both also enjoyed the dancing and singing toward the end of the program. Another great feature was having a forward and backward button to go back and redo a page.
Suggestions	I would love to see a feature where you didn't have to start at the beginning of the program each time. We had to leave in the middle, and my son had to restart the entire program instead of being able to pick up where he left off. Another suggestion is having all of the words closed captioned and not just the main story. During some of the songs, I would have liked to been able to read what was being said also. I also would have liked the stars in the app to show up a little later. It would have been nice to give my son a chance to figure it out before the answer appeared on the screen.
General opinion	This app is definitely entertaining for very young children. My almost two year old son loved interacting with the characters as well as the background and scenery. I would have loved to see the game become a little more challenging, but overall we thought it was great for a short bit of fun. The song at the end of the program also really caught his attention. I feel we will be playing this app for quite some time in our house.

Frances A.: My name is Frances Amato. I am a teacher. I am very hard working and a highly motivated individual. I am a educator that is for the use and integration of technology into the classroom. The technology I use are iPhone, iPad2, Smart Board and varied computers. I love to discovering new technology, assisting in creating and reviewing educational apps

Rating
What I liked	Paddle duck is a wonderfully engaging app for young children. It starts out with a cute little duck fast asleep. When your child makes the sunrise, the little duck is up and ready to go. You help Paddle Duck get to the farm and then on the farm help him find his friend. Throughout every page there are wonderfully interactive features such as you will touch a flower and a bee will come out and the lily pads make sounds. When touching all the animals it makes the corresponding sound for that animal.
Suggestions	My wish list for the app Paddle Duck is first that it would be a bit longer or have some more features. It is a great start for a wonderful app but perhaps if there were more parts to it, a child can play longer and stay engaged. It would have been nicer to search multiple places for Carrie the Cat. I also would like to see a few educational games to go with the app. It would have been nice to see paddle duck and his friends count to ten. Then another game making paddle duck row and count or row and do the alphabet, something additionally educational and interactive would be nice.
General opinion	Overall, I find this app very enjoyable but it did leave me wishing it was a little longer. I love that the app made children count, help paddle duck get around and look and search for his friend Carrie Cat. It is perfect for young children and the app is very enjoyable. I thought this app was wonderfully engaging and has educational value for young students and also for children with disabilities.

Kerry E.: I am a Spanish translator with a background in editing/proofreading, graphic design and typesetting. My family is very much into Macs, iPhones and iPads. My interests include fitness, cooking and music. I love watching my three kids learn about new subjects thanks to the wonderful educational apps that can be found in the App Store.

Rating
What I liked	All the interactive parts were very fun for my children. They loved being able to touch things and hear sounds and see the animations change. We really like the little song. Counting to three on two separate occasions was very fun and educational for my two-year-old. Also, I absolutely love to see an app without in-app purchases!
Suggestions	The acoustics in the app are a little bit off. It sounds like in some parts the voices are louder than in others. It's not to the point where it's completely off-putting, but it is noticeable, especially with the animal sounds. The accent is fun for me to listen to, but for American kids just learning to talk, the pronunciation could be a little bit confusing. An example is the word "farm", pronounced as "fahm." Also, the story ends sooner than you would expect.
General opinion	This is a very fun little app for smaller children. The animation and interactivity are very cute, and my children enjoyed it. You might say that they were glued to the app the entire time it was on. I would like it better if the story were a little bit longer, but we definitely enjoyed what was there.

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

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Paddle Duck in Where's Carrie Cat? An Interactive Story - Kids App Review

Rating
What I liked	- Cute characters, animation and colorful illustrations - The hints (circles of stars) are good for kids who don't understand spoken instructions yet - Emphasized on counting 1,2,3 - The parents section that required a long press to access - Fun Paddle Duck Waddle song at the end
Suggestions	- I prefer swiping to turn pages rather than clicking the triangle. - The environments could be more interactive and it would be nice to be able to click on items and hear their names (sun, bee, flower, grass, tree, etc.) - Each word needs to be highlighted as it's being read - Clicking on the sentence should repeat the sentence - I could not tell if Paddle Duck or Gabby Goat was talking when they are together - need to have balloon text or something similar - Need to display words for the Paddle Duck Waddle song at the end or when the duck sang so readers/kids can easily sing along
General opinion	The illustrations were cute and colorful but the story was only so-so. It wasn't that interesting and did not make a lasting impression with my kids. For $4, I expected a bit more interaction and features such as highlighted+clickable text and clickable items that pronounce their names. The song didn't even display words for us to sing along. Overall, this is just an average book with some light animation and interaction.

Rating
What I liked	My nephew thought the bird popping out from the trees was hilarious! And when the duck fell over in the Paddle Duck Waddle, he nearly lost it. Loved it! The animations and interactivity were fun and engaging. Nice smooth transitions that don't look awkward. The graphics were engaging as well. Well done with the overall look!
Suggestions	My nephew is 2.5 and I feel like he would quickly outgrow this. It would be nice to see a bit more depth and options for growth. For example, if it had the option to count higher than 3 or count the lilypads. Maybe some hidden things he could find that would respond to his touch. He kept trying to press the duck's belly to tickle it as he has several talking character apps that do that. He didn't understand why that wasn't possible.
General opinion	In general, we loved it! The characters were cute and endearing, although I don't quite understand why a duck needs a paddle... But so cute! The animations were well done. The interaction was good (although could be expanded upon and further developed). All in all, my nephew and I loved this app!

Rating
What I liked	The story is just about the right length to keep a toddler entertained and engaged. The interactive pages in the story are well done, with indicators for the child to know where to tap if they get stuck and good verbal feedback. The huge button on launch is great.
Suggestions	I couldn't find a way to exit the story and go back to the main menu (if there is a gesture to do this I missed it). The back arrow won't get you back to the main age because you get stuck in a loop with the page with the sunrise (and perhaps others). I would have liked to see a game or learning activity included with the story (would help justify the price, certainly).
General opinion	My daughter enjoyed this app, the story is engaging and short enough to keep a toddlers attention throughout the whole thing. A lot of care was taken to 'childproof' the app (long tap to access settings, no in app purchases, sharing is only accessible in the parents screen).

Rating
What I liked	1. The first thing I noticed was the settings menu, very well done and can't be accessed by mistake when the kid plays alone. The long press thing is very useful. 2. The story is not too long and not too complicated fot a kid that's 4 years old. 3. The app is very colorful and interactive so hi likes it because be can be part of the story 4. The hints (colorful stars) are well made and can be seen very easy by the player. 5. The kid always dances when he hears the Paddle Duck song. He loves it! 6. I like the fact that you can go back if you missed something or want to replay something.
Suggestions	1. After playing the app for several days I can say that the price is too high. It should be 99 cents. The content is limited and the replay value is not one of the best, the kid gets bored and wants another story Ina couple of days 2. As much as I like the hints I would love to be a way to turn them off so the kid can play the app without getting any help, please make this possible in an upcoming version 3. One thing that caught the kids eye was the bee in the flower. After discovering it he wanted to do something interactive with it. Maybe it will become part of the story in a next version
General opinion	The app is very well made, with cute characters and a very nice interactive story. The parental controls and the funny song are also a nice touch. BUT the biggest drawback of this app is the price. It's too high for the content you are getting and the low replay value.

Rating
What I liked	This interactive story had cute songs and illustrations with the story. I enjoyed the fact that each page had interactive items on it. The storyline and content was cute. I also appreciated the learning aspects within the story. Children can learn from these opportunities.
Suggestions	I would love to see more things interactive on each page. The interactive content is not shown to the kids, so they have to feel around to find it. It would be nice to have them blink or light up to help the toddler become more independent with the app. You could think about having the words highlighted as they are read to help young children begin to think about reading.
General opinion	Overall, this is a cute story with nice songs and animations. It is easy for a toddler/preschooler to play independently. Some additional educational content would be nice, such as highlighting words, extra games for vocabulary or counting. It is a bit expensive for a simple story. Added content and games would make it well worth the $4 price.

Rating
What I liked	> I liked that the parents section is protected from little fingers by a long press (thanks) > I like the manu settings available (no music menu, different English accents, control over narration and sound effects. > I liked the learning notes. > I like the simple forms and great vivid colors. > I liked the interactivities (and the way they show)
Suggestions	> Some interactivities seem a little bit slow (paddle for instance). > Sometimes, when ou select too quickly a character afer one has already been selected, the sound cuts in a not nicely way (try to tap the goat, and then, vey quicky, the cat, for one example). > The storyline could be stronger. > The educational content could be stronger, or more focused.
General opinion	Overall, Paddle Duck in Where's Carrie Cat? is a nice interactive story for very very young kids. Biggest improvment would be to choose between a strongest storyline or more educational content, but as it is now, it's already a little story kids should enjoy.

Rating
What I liked	I love the interaction the user can have with the app. I love that the app allows for work with fine motor skills and allows for receptive knowledge building of vocabulary words. I love that through the interaction, the user is exposed to counting and following directions, as well. The graphics are engaging and realistic in nature. The voice of the narrator is easily understood in both versions available, as well.
Suggestions	I felt like the story was cut short in some ways. I'm not sure if it was because of the simplicity of the app, or because there was only a few steps incorporated in the finding of Carrie Cat. I think it would be more engaging to add a few more exploratory options. Would it be possible to have the user select An option and have different effects based on the selection? The song played when moving through the river is engaging; however, it ends before the duck stops moving. Is that intended?
General opinion	This is a relatively simple storybook app. There are many positives included, which are common in interactive apps, but this one incorporates counting, following directions, and building fine motor skills. I wish this app had more for storyline because I felt it ended too soon, but overall, an app with great potential!

Rating
What I liked	This app was colorful and entertaining. The music pulled my almost two year old in. The characters were welcoming and had just the right amount of animation without going overboard. I also liked that there was more to do on each scene than just what was expected. My son really enjoyed seeing the fun things that would happen by pressing the lily pads, flowers, characters...etc. We both also enjoyed the dancing and singing toward the end of the program. Another great feature was having a forward and backward button to go back and redo a page.
Suggestions	I would love to see a feature where you didn't have to start at the beginning of the program each time. We had to leave in the middle, and my son had to restart the entire program instead of being able to pick up where he left off. Another suggestion is having all of the words closed captioned and not just the main story. During some of the songs, I would have liked to been able to read what was being said also. I also would have liked the stars in the app to show up a little later. It would have been nice to give my son a chance to figure it out before the answer appeared on the screen.
General opinion	This app is definitely entertaining for very young children. My almost two year old son loved interacting with the characters as well as the background and scenery. I would have loved to see the game become a little more challenging, but overall we thought it was great for a short bit of fun. The song at the end of the program also really caught his attention. I feel we will be playing this app for quite some time in our house.

Rating
What I liked	Paddle duck is a wonderfully engaging app for young children. It starts out with a cute little duck fast asleep. When your child makes the sunrise, the little duck is up and ready to go. You help Paddle Duck get to the farm and then on the farm help him find his friend. Throughout every page there are wonderfully interactive features such as you will touch a flower and a bee will come out and the lily pads make sounds. When touching all the animals it makes the corresponding sound for that animal.
Suggestions	My wish list for the app Paddle Duck is first that it would be a bit longer or have some more features. It is a great start for a wonderful app but perhaps if there were more parts to it, a child can play longer and stay engaged. It would have been nicer to search multiple places for Carrie the Cat. I also would like to see a few educational games to go with the app. It would have been nice to see paddle duck and his friends count to ten. Then another game making paddle duck row and count or row and do the alphabet, something additionally educational and interactive would be nice.
General opinion	Overall, I find this app very enjoyable but it did leave me wishing it was a little longer. I love that the app made children count, help paddle duck get around and look and search for his friend Carrie Cat. It is perfect for young children and the app is very enjoyable. I thought this app was wonderfully engaging and has educational value for young students and also for children with disabilities.

Rating
What I liked	All the interactive parts were very fun for my children. They loved being able to touch things and hear sounds and see the animations change. We really like the little song. Counting to three on two separate occasions was very fun and educational for my two-year-old. Also, I absolutely love to see an app without in-app purchases!
Suggestions	The acoustics in the app are a little bit off. It sounds like in some parts the voices are louder than in others. It's not to the point where it's completely off-putting, but it is noticeable, especially with the animal sounds. The accent is fun for me to listen to, but for American kids just learning to talk, the pronunciation could be a little bit confusing. An example is the word "farm", pronounced as "fahm." Also, the story ends sooner than you would expect.
General opinion	This is a very fun little app for smaller children. The animation and interactivity are very cute, and my children enjoyed it. You might say that they were glued to the app the entire time it was on. I would like it better if the story were a little bit longer, but we definitely enjoyed what was there.

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