There are several reasons why Toca Kitchen Monsters is an essential download for any iPhone or iPad-owning parent.

First, it’s from Toca Boca, the Swedish kid-apps developer whose apps have been consistently excellent. Second, it’s a new version of their Toca Kitchen – a cooking app that our children already love. Third: what’s new is that it has monsters in it. And fourth: it’s free.

The concept remains the same as the full version of Toca Kitchen. Your child chooses ingredients from a fridge, then slices, dices, fries, boils and/or microwaves them, before serving them up to one of a pair of monsters, whose reactions let you know what they think of it.

Marvellous fun, and a risk-free introduction to Toca Boca’s world.