I’m always on the hunt for YouTube alternatives for my son, and I’ve just discovered a good one in Vooks, the app that streams animated children’s books. If you’re wanting your kids to be entertained by something other than toy cars being pulled out of Jell-O, you’ll want to take a look.
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Vooks offers a curated library of digital books — aka videos in which the story is read aloud with moving illustrations — that you can subscribe to. I love that the animation is pretty basic and draws from the book’s original illustrations so that kids can focus on the text without getting too distracted. Plus, the words change color when they’re read aloud, so that kids learning to read can follow along. I also like that the library includes some childhood favorites like Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, plus some newcomers that I’m really excited to check out, like Slumber Sloth (at top).
While the Vooks library isn’t huge yet, it includes a good number of options for all ages within the 2-8 range, and I’m hoping they’ll continue adding new animated books as the service grows. You can also access the library from any device that’s internet-enabled, like your phone or tablet or TV if you have Chromecast or Apple TV.
I wouldn’t think about it as a replacement for parents reading stories to kids, but if you’re looking for a more wholesome, educational form of screen time, Vooks is a great option.
Vooks costs $50 a year or $4.99 a month, so slightly less than you’d pay for Netflix or the forthcoming Disney Plus streaming service we’ve been hearing so much about. But I love that you don’t have to worry about inappropriate content showing up if they pick the wrong video. Such a time saver.
Find the Vooks app at Google Play or iTunes.
