Overview
Wince - Don't Feed The WorryBug is a book app about a little monster who becomes a worrywart, but then learns to change. The worrying represents itself as a character called the WorryBug, who feeds on other people's worries. When Wince frets, the WorryBug grows in size. But when Wince learns to keep his worrying at bay, the WorryBug shrinks.
The Story
Wince, a floppy-eared, light blue monster starts to worry about everyday things, such as his homework, his laundry, feeding his fish, and bringing his bike home. By dwelling more and more on worries, Wince forgets to work and play. He draws the attention of an unwanted pest called the WorryBug.
The WorryBug feeds on overabundant worries, and Wince has them aplenty. At first, Wince doesn't notice the WorryBug growing. But when the bug completely fills his kitchen, Wince realizes he needs help.
By calling in some experts on WorryBugs, Wince and his helpful friends hatch a plan to catch the bug in a net. In the process of planning and then celebrating the capture of the bug with his friends, Wince forgets to worry. Then, by resuming his life -- doing his chores and other work and spending time playing -- Wince is able to send the WorryBug packing.
A Great Springboard to Talk about Worrying
By reading Wince - Don't Feed The WorryBug with their children, parents have an opportunity to discuss worrying. Because Wince is cute and relatable, kids care about him and want him to overcome his struggles. The little monster doesn't realize that he has acquired a bad habit of worrying until it has taken over his life. But he doesn't quit, rather he goes to the library and researches his problem. More importantly, he reaches out to others for help -- an important message for kids to learn. Wince learns to successfully change his behavior so that he can get rid of the WorryBug.
Soft and gentle illustrations accompany this motivational tale -- done in pastels. And the story is fun to watch, since much of it includes video animation, making you feel like you are watching a cartoon. Also good is the rhyming narration, well delivered by a talented actor. And an exciting musical soundtrack ties the whole presentation together.
Kids Can Record Their Own Worries
Wince contains plenty of hotspots -- places where kids can touch to activate animations and visual treats. Players can make time fly, flowers appear, and spark extra dialogue from the characters. But the best interactive element is a contraption where kids can record their own worries. By voicing their own concerns, kids can start to identify and talk about things that are bothering them.
While the words don't highlight as read, they do become expressive through the use of varying fonts and sizes of the text. A slight annoyance is that the extra dialogue occasionally drowns out the story narration.
Best For
Wince - Don't Feed The WorryBug is a great book to explore if you have a child who tends to worry. For teachers looking for apps that cover social and emotional learning (SEL), add this one to your library.
Wince - Don't Feed The WorryBug book app review was written by Jinny Gudmundsen.
All tech products are judged on a five star scale by looking at the following factors: fun, education, ease of use, value, and technical.
