If you want your preschooler to get early exposure to Vietnamese without handing them a hyperactive dopamine machine, Gus on the Go: Vietnamese is a rare breath of fresh air. It relies on straightforward vocabulary cards, native speaker audio, and simple review games led by a cartoon owl. There are no surprise pop-ups, no virtual currencies, and no algorithmic tricks designed to lock a toddler onto the screen.

It will not make a child fluent or take the place of real conversation with native-speaking family members. What it does offer is about 90 essential starter words—colors, numbers, animals, and food—presented in a calm, easily digested format. For parents looking for honest, low-stimulation language exposure on an iPad, it hits the target spot on.