Apple names Millie Marotta app one of best of 2016

The colouring app Millie Marotta’s Colouring Adventures has been selected by Apple as one of the Top 10 Best Apps of 2016 on the App Store in the UK and Nordic territories.

The app, which is available free for iPad and produced by Pavilion Books and developers Amphio, has now been downloaded 380,000 times since its release in January 2016 according to the publisher, and was shortlisted in the Digital Book category of this year’s Futurebook Awards.

The app showcases the artwork of Millie Marotta, the author of non-fiction book, Millie Marotta’s Animal Kingdom (Pavillion). The app was one of the first colouring-in apps to be compatible with the Apple Pencil and uses sophisticated gesture-recognition technology so that iPad and iPad Pro users can colour, shade, blend and deepen colours effectively.

An update of the app was released in September 2016, which included two new packs of illustrations on the themes of ‘Botanical’ and ‘Curious Sea Creatures’ which can be bought for 79p each as in-app purchases. Other packs available for purchase in the app are ‘Birds’, ‘Savannah Creatures’ and the free starter pack.

Also included on Apple's list of 2016's best are video game Chameleon Run, language app Memrise and BBC iPlayer Kids.