Jesse the Jack’s ABC Zoo iBook and App

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Jesse the Jack’s ABC Zoo is the newest App and eBook for Apple devices, developed by Best Buddies Learning. You may be asking who Jesse the Jack is- he is a purebred, Jack Russell Terrier who lives to entertain. He has made appearances on Good Morning America, Nickelodeon, The Late Show with David Letterman, Animal Planet, CBS, NBC, ABC, Disney, VH1, and The Rachael Ray Show to name a few. Unlike regular dogs, Jesse knows some incredible tricks like handstands, skateboarding, riding a rocking horse, and even putting the dishes in the dishwasher. However, his most recent foray is digital and teaches children the alphabet.

Best Buddies learning was created by Rob Keim in November 2013 to make reading and learning fun for kids. Based in San Diego, the company partnered with Jesse the Jack to launch its first of many iBook and app, ABC Zoo.

The iBook and app has animation, video, and narration which teach the alphabet in a new way. Through letter pairing with colors and animals children learn by association. The general storyline follows Jesse’s adventures throughout the zoo and features two modes- story and play. Story follows along Jesse’s tale with real animal sounds, facts, and a decent sound track as well. Play mode teaches the user the alphabet with a fill in the shape game. This is played through positive reinforcement, where the user gets treats for Jesse with correct answers and another try with incorrect answers. As the user progresses with more treats they also unlock more Jesse tricks videos up of which there are 12 of.

Jesse the Jack’s ABC Zoo app and iBook are geared to help children ages 2-6 learn the alphabet and is available on iOS via the iBook and app stores, the iBook retails for $.99 and the app retails for $1.99. An Android version is coming in early 2015.