Barefoot World Atlas for iPad review

Barefoot World Atlas is an interactive children's atlas from Touch Press, the app developer behind The Elements, The Waste Land and March of the Dinosaurs. As always, it takes a wealth of information and translates it into an app that is a joy to explore and filled with delightful animation. Presented as an interactive 3D globe, Barefoot Atlas invites exploration. You can simply browse, spinning the globe with a finger or pinching to zoom in, or you can search for a specific country or region. Spread across the terrain are objects of interest; just tap on one to read about it and hear narration by BBC presenter Nick Crane. There are photos to discover and 3D objects to explore too. The atlas is illustrated by David Dean and the attention to detail even extends down to the hand-drawn search boxes. All of the graphics have been optimised for the retina display too, so the app looks particularly good on the new iPad. There is plenty to see, so much in fact that the favourites feature will almost certainly get plenty of use. Just mark a particular spot with a star and you can come back to it later. It's also worth mentioning the music, which changes as you move around the world.