Archive for the ‘children’s ebooks’ tag
PBS launches its first children’s app for Android no comments
PBS has launched the first Android version of one of its children’s apps. 
Super Why! is based on the hit preschool series and is designed to help kids build literacy skills.
Super Why! for Android contains four interactive literacy games and a virtual sticker book. The four main characters from the PBS Kids series — Alpha Pig, Princess Presto, Wonder Red and Super Why — are all in the app.
The Super Why app is priced at $2.99, but for a limited time it is free at the Amazon Appstore for Android. Requires Android 2.1 or above.
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Oceanhouse Media releases first in series of Smithsonian multimedia books for young readers no comments
Oceanhouse media has launched It’s Tyrannosaurus Rex! 
This is the first in a series of multimedia books licensed from Soundprints, publisher of Smithsonian Institution titles and other books for children. Oceanhouse plans to release a number of titles this year from Soundprints’ Prehistoric Pals, Oceanic and Backyard collections.
It’s Tyrannosaurus Rex! has been approved by paleontologists at the Smithsonian and takes preschool through grade 2 readers on a journey through the Cretaceous period with T. Rex. Features include original artwork, professional audio narration and custom audio. Besides reading the book for themselves, young readers can choose to have the story narrated to them or use the Auto Play feature, which plays the story like a movie.
It’s Tyrannosaurus Rex! is available for iOS for $2.99 at the App Store and for Android at the Amazon Appstore for Android and the Android Market. Oceanhouse Media has about 20 other children’s reading apps (Dr. Seuss and Berenstain Bears) available for Android.
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Childproof covers and cases for your iPad no comments
If visions of your young children playing Frisbee with your expensive iPad are giving you the flutters, here are a couple of child friendly covers that may help.
Big Grips Frame for iPad
The Big Grips Frame
Trident Kraken Hybrid Case
The Kraken Hybrid Case
The Kraken costs $32 and comes with a screen protector.
Update 9/27/2011: M-Edge has released a new foam iPad 2 cover that is designed for Kids. Currently the SuperShell is priced at $30 and is available in Atomic Green.
PS: If you are looking for an iPad cover for older children, Dodocase makes a couple of nice ones. Check out the Morris Lessmore (as in the Fantastic Flying Books of ) case and the Random Monster
case.
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New children’s edutainment apps no comments
There are several new children’s reading apps that have been announced recently:
Scout’s ABC Garden from Leapfrog
Designed to help young children learn letter names and sounds. 
Scout’s ABC Garden personalizes the experience for each child based on his or her name, favorite food, favorite color and favorite animal.
With the ‘Scout’s ABC Garden’ app kids can explore Scout’s garden by touching and triggering fun and delightful sounds and animations like interactive clouds, bubbles, ticklish gophers, and Scout and Violet’s virtual radio that plays traditional kid-favorite songs. Kids can even rub Scout’s or Violet’s belly to hear a song with their name, or grow their own letter garden.
Other key aspects of the app include:
- A is for Achievement. The app is customized to each child’s level of learning, helping every child learn about letters and sounds at his or her own pace.
- B is for Bragging. Alerted when learning happens, proud parents can also share in their child’s learning achievements. With each accomplished goal, not only does the child receive a badge or trophy, but parents are alerted to their child’s achievement which they can then celebrate and share via social channels, including Facebook.
- C is for Customization. A main ingredient of the app’s appeal is its deep level of personalization. With the capacity to hold up to three profiles, a parent can customize the app for different children, including their favorite foods, colors and animals, so each can experience unique gameplay.
Available at the Apple App Store for $3.99.
GoodieWords
GoodieWords focuses on teaching preschoolers about important words that can
be difficult to define and describe in a kid-friendly way while engaging them with interactive activities and characters.
GoodieWords was one of the Top 10 Educational Apps on iTunes while in beta. The app was developed with input from leading educational experts from Stanford University and New York City’s The Dalton School. Available at iTunes for $4.99. There is also a free lite version.
Kids ABC Phonics
Kids ABC Phonics is a new children’s Android app from the makers of Kids ABC Letters — one of the most popular apps in the Education section of the Android Market.
Kids ABC Phonics has four child-friendly sections.
- Learn Letter Sounds. Kids hold and turn a picture-filled letter block and hear the ABC phonics being pronounced.
- Build Letter Blocks. Children have fun building phonics recognition skills by making their own ABC blocks.
- Pop Letter Bubbles. Kids love to pop bubbles. But don’t be fooled. By the time children are done with this game, they will know what letter goes with which sound by heart.
- Make words. While putting puzzles together, kids learn the basics of phonics blending.
Each section is designed so that children enjoy success time after time and receive positive reinforcement from the likable teacher.
Available for $3.99 at the Android Market.
Super Why Paint!
PBS Kids has announced the new Super Why Paint! app for iPad, iPhone and
iPod touch. This is a digital coloring book featuring characters from the hit preschool TV series.
Super Why Paint! offers young artists a painting palette of 20 colors and a set of 19 virtual Super Why-themed stickers. The app features 48 coloring pages that, when colored in, can be saved, emailed or uploaded to Facebook.
Available for $2.99 at iTunes.
Update (4/29/2011): The Super Why! children’s reading app is currently free (for a limited time) for Android devices at the Amazon Appstore for Android.
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Apps
Zaner-Bloser has introduced a set of apps to help children aged 3 and over to learn handwriting. The apps are priced at $1.99 each at iTunes and are available in English or Spanish versions.
The Boxcar Children Mysteries
Amazon has a boxed set of the first 12 books in the Boxcar Children Mysteries
for $9.99. This is a Kindle book enhanced with audio visual content and is meant to be used on an iDevice, computer or Android device.
The multimedia content includes an illustrated biography of the author, Gertrude Chandler Warner, and four videos about her and her works.
The regular unenhanced Kindle version of this set is $28.99, so this is a good deal.
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Hasbro to release interactive storybook apps no comments
Hasbro has partnered with Ruckus Mobile Media to release a series of interactive storybook apps based on Hasbro characters. The first three titles — Tonka Chuck and Friends, My Little Pony and Transformers Prime — are scheduled to launch in May 2011 on “all digital platforms.”
Hasbro currently has a number of games available at the Apple App Store, but these appear to be the first children’s reading apps from the company. Presumably the new titles will also be available at the Android Market and Amazon’s Appstore for Android to cover those other digital platforms mentioned in the press release.
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Nickelodeon characters come to Nookbooks for Kids no comments
Barnes & Noble now has Nickelodeon stars SpongeBob SquarePants 
and Dora the Explorer Nookbooks for Kids. Most seem to be priced at $3.99. The Nook Color ereader works very well for reading children’s picture books — but the Nook Kids app for iPad, which is free at the App Store, can also be used for reading Nookbooks for kids on your iPad.
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iPad gets Better Homes & Gardens, Disney Magazine and some free children’s books 1 comment
Some new content now available on the iPad and iPhone:
Meredith Corp. has announced the launch of its three most popular titles, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents and Fitness, on the iPad. These new digital magazines are only available to purchase as single issues (maybe Meredith doesn’t like the Apple App Store subscriptions model) — Parents and Fitness are $2.99 per issue, while Better Homes & Gardens is $3.99 — and are now available in the App Store. Meredith apparently also plans in the future to offer its digital magazines on a subscription basis for Android tablets.
From the press release:
From delicious recipes and innovative decorating applications – to workout videos and co-play opportunities – every feature delivers helpful, valuable and entertaining content. The tablet editions stretch each user experience, providing fresh, rich digital content that deepens and expands the consumers’ experiences with the brands they love and trust.
“Our goal is to provide content that matters to her across all of her passion points, delivered in an immersive and interactive digital experience,” says Liz Schimel, EVP, Consumer Relationship Management and Digital Media for Meredith’s National Media Group. “Our consumer insights were incredibly valuable during every step of planning and creation.”
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Disney FamilyFun, which is a family magazine with 5.5 million readers, 
is also now available in the App Store. The March and April 2011 issues are free; beginning in May new issues will be available at a price TBA.
The iOS version of the Disney FamilyFun magazine contains interactive slideshows, videos of recipes and family activities, 360-degree views of craft projects and social media sharing tools.
"Disney FamilyFun has always been a magazine about doing things and taking action, and the iPad is the perfect springboard for bringing these activities and ideas to life for families," said Aparna Pande, general manager of Disney FamilyFun. "Through a collaboration with industry leaders Texterity and The Wonderfactory, we’re rolling out an innovative digital publication that has all the mom-friendly tools and engaging multimedia features one needs to make their way through a busy day."
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iStoryTime and Yoplait Kids are offering six free children’s books on the iPad and iPhone for a limited time. The six titles that are supposed to be free are listed below — but when I checked just now they were all still priced at $0.99 each at iTunes. No dates were given in the press release, but it did sound like the offer would start today.
- “My First Day of School” – Follow along as Charlie gets ready for his first day of school. While he is really excited, he’s also a bit scared. After asking some questions and attending his first day, Charlie can’t wait for his second day of school. Written by Ricki Booker and illustrated by Selena Kassab. Narrated by PanRight Productions.
- “Invisible Alligators” – A young monkey named Sari suddenly awakes to one of her toys in disrepair and all of her other toys covering the stairs. One night she stays up very late to find invisible alligators all over her room. Written and illustrated by Hayes Roberts. Narrated by Dominic Byrne.
- “Peanut Butter Bob” – Swim alongside Jellyfish Jay who can’t help stinging all of his friends, including turtles, dolphins, whales, sea urchins and many more. One day, Jellyfish Jay sees that Peanut Butter Bob has caught a wave and can’t swim. Check this book out to see if Jellyfish Jay saves the day. Written by Duke Christoffersen. Illustrated by Tricia Tharp. Adult narration by Tom Stevens and kid narration by Quinn Stewart.
- “Wiener Dog” – Join Kiki Marie, a crazy monkey, in her zany adventures with a magnetic wiener dog. Good thing she’s quick on her feet because she’ll need to think creatively to save the day. Written and illustrated by Hayes Roberts and narrated by Jen Muench and Laci Kay.
- “Nate’s Big Hair” – Read along with Nate and his big hair as he doesn’t like eating new foods and his mom is troubled and doesn’t know what to do. Explore how Nate’s mom gets him to try new foods and enjoy them. Written by Duke Christoffersen. Illustrated by Dick Truxaw. Adult narration by Tom & Yvana Stevens. Child narration by Quinn and Oliver Stewart.
- “Binky the Pink Elephant” – The story of an elephant whose journey teaches her that being different can also be admirable. Written by Sonowa Jackson. Illustrated by Jaclyn Mednicov. Narrated by Jen Muench and Laci Kay.
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New Britannica children’s app no comments
Rainforests is a new interactive multimedia iPad and iPhone app announced today by Britannica Kids.
Designed for ages 8-14, Rainforests lets kids explore tropical ecosystems with articles on indigenous fauna illustrated with video, photographs and maps. Interactive games, virtual jigsaw puzzles and photo quizzes help to keep the learning interesting.
“Rainforests are vital to the survival of life on Earth, and it’s important for the leaders of tomorrow to understand them and their current plight,” said Dale Hoiberg, editor-in-chief at Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. “This app gives parents and teachers a great way to teach those lessons. It’s rich in both educational content and fun features that make it good for home, classrooms, even family trips.”
Rainforests is the latest in a series of edutainment apps from Britannica Kids that includes titles such as Dinosaurs, Solar System, Ancient Egypt and Volcanoes. More titles and Android versions will be joining the series in coming months.
Rainforests is now available at the Apple App Store for $4.99.
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Children’s ebooks – a couple of new iOS titles no comments
A couple of new children’s edutainment titles for iPad/iPhone/iPod touch have been announced in the past week:
Oceanhouse Media and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt have released Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed for iDevices. 
Once purchased, this app can be used on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch for no extra charges.
“The combination of humor and rhyme encourages young readers to learn to count as each monkey learns the risks of jumping on the bed,” said Michel Kripalani, Founder and President of Oceanhouse Media. “Author Eileen Christelow’s colorful illustrations of fun-loving monkeys naturally lend themselves to a playful digital version.”
Originally published in 1989, the Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed picture book takes the popular nursery rhyme and illustrates five precocious monkeys getting ready for bed. They take a bath, brush their teeth, put on their pajamas and bid mama goodnight. However, it doesn’t end there — each funny monkey jumps off the bed and bumps his head, forcing mama to repeatedly call the doctor. As the popular nursery rhyme goes, the mama called the doctor and the doctor said, “No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
Children can read Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by themselves or have the story narrated to them. Now available at iTunes for the introductory price of $2.99. Other titles in the Five Little Monkey series will be released throughout 2011.
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PicPocket Books, which publishes a number of children’s reading apps, 
has released Penelope the Purple Pirate by Melissa Northway. In this story Penelope’s room is transformed into a pirate ship and she goes on a treasure hunting adventure with her friends.
Penelope the Purple Pirate is an interactive storybook and is designed to promote early learning and reading skills. Fun facts are included about the sea creatures Penelope meets up with. There are also interactive games and discussion questions for use in an educational setting.
Available in the App Store at $1.99 for the iPhone and $2.99 for the iPad version.
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Mika’s Adventure children’s iPad app gets translated no comments
Mika’s Adventure is a children’s adventure story app for the iPad. 
Mika is now available in eight languages, including English, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch. A Korean version is also in the works.
From the press release:
“A dream is about to come true for Mika: For the first time in his life he sets out to join his granny Joanna on one of her secret expeditions. As soon as they take off they discover a forest unknown to mankind until this day. They anchor their airship – the Albatross – in the top branches of the highest trees and make their slow descent into the emerald green thick brush.”
Enter a magical world you have never seen before and witness how Mika’s story comes to life. Changing light moods, sound effects and interactive challenges create a one-of-a-kind interactive storybook. And just as Mika has much to discover and experience along the way, so too does the reader. With its feast of interactive animations and a challenging puzzle, this special App immerses you in Mika’s adventure throughout – delivering a brand new kind of reading experience.
Being voted "App of the Week" by the iTunes Store in 2010, Mika and his friends already enjoy many fans from all over the world. With these new versions there will surely be even more to come. Furthermore, a Korean adaptation is planned to be launched soon.
Mika’s Adventure features sound effects, interactive animations and puzzles. Available at iTunes for $9.99.
