If there's anyone who should have hope for the future of ebooks, it's parents of young children. Handheld devices hold the attention of kids almost as well as they do of grownups, and if kids can be learning something like reading while they're entranced, that's even better.  

Christoph Niemann's Petting Zoo might be more captivating than educational, but it's certainly not a mindless distraction. In fact, the $1.99 iBook is word-free, but allows users to discover how to interact  with 21 fun animals, from a chain-link octopus to a guitar-stringed porcupine.

This is Niemann's first ebook. He's published seven physical books and hundreds of illustrations for the New York Times, so it's safe to expect more e-realeses from him.