A lot of kid’s app descriptions stop just short of guaranteeing that your child will become a professor of physics just by playing it. Vastly improved attention spans? The fine motor skills of a neurosurgeon? Advanced understanding of logic? Really?

We’re going to be honest about this app. By playing it, we cannot guarantee that your child will become a genius. Remember, it’s an app, not seven years of intense lectures.

That said, Junior Explorer is a pretty cool app. Here's what it is:

It's a beautifully illustrated map of the world, and on each continent you'll find indigenous animals and landmarks. Touch them and they'll growl or run away or poop or fly off. There are loads of little hidden features that you and your kids will discover as you explore. Plus it's really simple to use, so you won't have to send your child to app camp just to get them started. (Open it, touch the screen and you’re up and running – that's as complex as it gets.)

• See if you can get lightning to strike a volcano.
• Launch a rocket into space.
• Find the secret submarine.
• Make a seagull poop on a polar bear.
• Catch a marlin as it jumps out the sea.
• Get all the animals howling, growling, squawking and talking all at once.

Of course your kids will learn a few things as they play – like what noises different animals make, or where on earth you might find a rattlesnake or a panda bear. But this app should not replace your child’s basic schooling.

Illustrated by children's book creator, Alex Latimer (The Boy Who Cried Ninja, Penguin's Hidden Talent and Lion vs. Rabbit) Junior Explorer is full of his warm drawings and charming humor.