Kalley's Machine Plus Cats

Based on a true story of childhood optimism, Kalley’s Machine Plus Cats is the super-fun interactive story about a 4-year-old girl’s drawing and her heartwarming plan to save her dad from his daily commute.

Kalley's Machine launched as one of the Best New Apps in the App Store in 88 countries (thanks Apple!).

"Kalley's Machine is riveting to explore, ingenious in its creative engineering and fascinating to use because it has multiple interactive hotspots that interrelate on each page. This app showcases some of the most elegant interactions ever placed inside of a kids' book app." - Jinny Gudmundsen, USA Today (4/4)

5 / 5 - CommonSenseMedia.org
4.5 / 5 - 148Apps.com
5 / 5 - The iMums

STORY

When Kalley shows her dad her drawing for a new machine, he is baffled by the confusing collection of hammers, gears, fire, smoke and conveyors. As Kalley explains each part of her invention, the drawing comes to life even as its overall purpose becomes less and less clear to her dad. It is only when Kalley explains the machine's final component that her master plan to keep her dad from commuting is revealed.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY

So, there really is a 'Kalley'. She really drew a machine. Her dad couldn't build it. So they made an app out of it instead.

Check out a video about it: http://youtu.be/vTvbELTaLzI

FEATURES

► PLAY WITH MACHINES!

Kalley's Machine was crafted with interactivity as the first priority. Satisfyingly touchable controls put kids in charge of each twist and smash of the machine. Controls come in a wide machiney variety:

● Cranks
● Sliders
● Dials
● Levers
● Switches
● Buttons

With the machine, kids can:

● Smash Stuff
● Inflate Stuff
● Shrink Stuff
● Burn Stuff (or lightly toast it)
● Paint Stuff
● Grab Stuff
● Drop Stuff
● Mold Stuff Into Shapes
● Do A Few Other Things Including...

► MESS WITH CATS!

Kalley's Machine is a story based on a 4 year-old girl's drawing. As such, it includes cats. They are completely irrelevant to the story. However, they are way fun to harass.

Tease them. Scare them. Puzzle them. Adore them. We think you'll love the cats.

► GET YOUR READ ON!

Cuz it's a story, right? Of course, you can read the story the old-fashioned way. But, to aid new readers, we've also included two helpful interactive story features:

● Read-to-Me, narrated by Kalley and her dad with highlighted words.
● Touch-to-Read, where words are spoken when they are touched.

► TRY TO LEARN!

Honestly, this app is not designed to be educational. It is designed to be fun.

However, we'd get an 'F' in marketing if we didn't point out that the interactive medium offers kids great chances to explore some basic concepts which are both safer and less messy than their real-world alternatives. Creative parents may recognize the opportunity to discuss:

● Subtractive Color Mixing
● Pressure/Temperature Relationships
● Gear Ratios
● Air Pressure/Vacuums
● How Overcooking Can Burn Stuff

► KEEP KIDS SAFE!

We have made this app super-safe for kids by having:

● No Ads
● No In-App-Purchases
● Parental Gates in Our Parents Section

WARNING: This story makes a single use of the word "nonchalant". It was written in a moment of desperation to find a rhyme with the word "want." We realize that's a pretty poor excuse. We also realize that, in the way we used it, it really should have been "nonchalantly". It was just pretty sloppy all around. So, if you feel like a word that advanced has no place in a book for little kids, we completely understand. In fact, we mostly agree (except that it's so mind-crushingly hard to think of a contextually appropriate rhyme for "want"). And if that is going to wreck it for you, then we'll understand if you don't buy our story. Just don't buy it and get in there later and be like, "What is this 'nonchalant' business?!" We're having this talk now.