This Thanksgiving kids have much to be grateful about with Sago Sago Inc.’s new app Sago Mini for preschoolers that stars Jack the Rabbit as a superhero, a tiny hero with a big heart. With superheroes popping up in a big way on TV—whether it be Supergirl, Jessica Jones, or Daredevil—kids certainly need someone who represents them. At least that’s what Elaine Hsu, the creator of Sago Mini, believes.
Sago Mini, with no in-app purchases, no rules, no levels, and no high scores, is designed solely for the mighty fingers of a heroic child. Jack the Rabbit is dressed in bright colors, can fly into the sky, travel at full speed on ground, and even fly underground. The superhero inhabits a city that is based on Toronto and also has its own CN Tower. The entire app comes alive in bubblegum bright colors and astounding animations built around the citizens of its digital universe. The sole purpose of this educational app is for kids to discover their own heroic spirit through simple deeds that make a difference in the everyday lives of people by overcoming conflict by extending a hand of friendship.
The journey of the superhero begins on top of a skyscraper where Jack lives. However, he seems to be hiding, since he just pokes his head out of the window reluctant to step out. Kids must tap the screen to take him into the city and then use their fingers across the screen to guide his way. As kids run their fingers across the screen, Jack will fly through the sky, or the traffic-filled road, or pass by tall buildings, or into the water pipes buried underground. Along the way he’ll come across yellow markers that are essentially animations-in-hiding. It is Jack’s mission to unravel these hidden gems which will also entertain kids with a 10-second action-sequence in which Jack will perform a heroic act to save someone in trouble. There are 30 such markers that kids must find to finish the game.
Kids can also tap anywhere on the screen and Jack will instantly fly over to that point. Jack can help save a woman trapped in an apartment that’s caught fire by blowing air into it, bring a smile to a formidable octopus by extending a hand of friendship and offering a banana, help ducklings cross the road by doing the job of a traffic policeman, help kids playing ball retrieve their ball stuck in a tree, or help passengers stuck underground in a subway without a driver by donning another role, and so on and so forth. Of course, Jack has his own Carrot-copter the way Batman has a Batmobile, and whenever Jack gets tired rescuing people he can eat his carrot and rejuvenate himself.
The creators of Sago Mini encourage parents to sit with their little ones while they explore the city in where Jack the Rabbit lives. Parents can ask questions about what kids see in the cityscape or how kids can help recognize trouble or people that need help without the yellow markers. You will be surprised by the creative answers kids come up in describing the many shapes and action sequences they see in Sago Mini. This will allow them to use their imagination to become better human beings.
As kids go around the city, they will discover that sometimes superheroes cannot save the day. For instance, when they try and help kittens crying for help in a tree by pulling them out, the kittens will crawl back into the tree. Kids might realize that the kittens are crying because they are scared and they must overcome their fear on their own. From time to time, citizens will cook trouble for themselves over and over agin. Jack the Rabbit must therefore repeat his tasks all over again, without getting frustrated, and also not fail to look for anything new. In playing an educational game such as Sago Mini, kids will develop respect for their own parents that help them everyday just like a superhero, overcoming obstacles to become bigger and stronger—all without getting tired, and with a permanent smile on their face—well… usually.
