When it comes to children reading, I tend to be a bit old-school and old-fashioned. Give them a book to hold. Turn the pages. Smell the paper. Snap it closed when you’re finished.
But with this shiny new iPad in my hands I’m having to rethink my old-fashioned ways. While nothing will ever completely replace a physical book, there are some really exciting interactive books out there that have me changing my tune.
What could be so enticing? How about some rediscovered, vintage, never-been-published-in-book-form Dr. Seuss?
Today, Oceanhouse Media has released an interactive digital book that features seven Dr. Seuss short stories that were originally printed in Redbook magazine in the 50s.The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories marks the the first time these rediscovered stories have being printed and shared and the first time an app and print book are being released simultaneously.
But what’s to love about the digital form of these books besides the classic Dr. Seuss stories and
original illustrations? The stories can be read in a variety of formats–read to me, read it yourself, or autoplay. Kids can swipe through the pages or, for the younger crowd, have the story read and pages turned for them, like a movie.
Each page of the story is fully clickable. By tapping text or pictures, kids can have a word repeated or read to them. And words become highlighted as the narrator moves through the book. Though I now associate Dr. Seuss voices with the likes of Martin Short and Jim Carrey, the narrators of these short stories are perfectly matched.
For the past few days, my four year old and I have been working our way through these new Dr. Seuss stories. She begs to get on my iPad and promises she’ll listen to a story, not play another round of Fruit Ninja. And when I see her tapping through the words and listening to how the print is read, I feel my old-fashioned heart start to soften. Who can argue with a child begging for a book, no matter what the form? -Molly
The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories is available for Apple and Android devices in the iTunes Store.
