Tag Archives: interactive book apps

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Millie Was Here, Book 1 and Millie’s Crazy Dinosaur Adventure, Book 3

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I am a HUGE fan of the Millie Was Here series – these apps are adorable. They are loaded with fun interactivity that really adds to the story. Kids will be delighted and engaged as they join Millie on her adventures. These kid-appealing apps will produce lots of smiles. 🙂

Millie Was Here – Millie’s first adventure is currently FREE. This award-winning interactive book for kids has been one of my favorites since I started my blog. The story follows Millie on her first adventure. Millie (a lovable dog) has super powers, loves bacon, and is a master of disguise. I love everything about this app – the narration, music, interactivity, and Millie – the super cute star of the book. The story is available in 11 languages. The app automatically sets itself to the language of your device – how cool is that!

Millie Was Here, Book 1: Meet Millie - Megapops LLC

Millie3

Also FREE – Millie’s Crazy Dinosaur Adventure, the third book in the Millie series for the iPhone/iPad. Millie’s adventures continue when she goes to a birthday party for Kitty and forgets to bring a present. Millie builds a time machine to solve the problem. She goes back a bit too far and lands in prehistoric times with the dinosaurs! The result is another fun Millie story loaded with interactivity. Kids LOVE these books!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/millies-crazy-dinosaur-adventure/id695161183?mt=8&uo=4

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The Tree I See

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FREE for a limited time – The Tree I See, a storybook app for iPhone/iPad. Geared towards toddlers, this educational app tells a story about a little boy who spends time with a tree that willingly gives and shares with wilderness friends. The Tree I See is a beautifully animated story about sharing and what it means to be a friend.  🙂

The Tree I See - Interactive Storybook - Aridan Books

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Reading Rainbow

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Reading Rainbow is a library of over 200 books and videos for kids ages 3 – 9. This educational app is FREE to download but requires a subscription ($9.99 per month or $29.99 for 6 months) for full access. Once you subscribe, your children (up to 5 per family) will have unlimited access to the interactive books and video trips. This app is similar to the award-winning Reading Rainbow television series that was on PBS from 1983 – 2006. It even features the same host – Grammy winner, LeVar Burton. In less than a year, over 2.5 million books/video field trips have been viewed with this app!

After installing the app, kids fill out their profile (name, age, kinds of stories they like to read) and may choose one free book from one of the 6 themed island in the sky. The books are professionally read and feature “Read to Me” or “Read on My Own” options. They are lightly animated and include interactive activities that add to the story. A sticker rewards program motivates kids to read. There is also an individualized tracking system so parents can see books selected and minutes read for each child.

I must admit, I downloaded this app because of nostalgia. My kids grew up watching Reading Rainbow and we all loved it. I am happy to say that the appeal of Reading Rainbow today is the same as it was almost 30 years ago – Reading Rainbow provides kids with quality authentic literature. If I had a child/ grandchild (ages 3-9) or if I were still in the classroom, I would subscribe without hesitation. What a fabulous resource!

Highly Recommended!

Reading Rainbow - Reading Rainbow

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Color Uncovered & Sound Uncovered

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Color Uncovered

Sound Uncovered

Two FABULOUS & FREE educational apps from the Exploratorium!! Both interactive books contain illusions, articles, and videos. These apps make science fun by answering questions like – What color is a whisper? Are there secret messages in music played backward? Kids will love the illusions and you won’t believe these apps are FREE! Very interesting –  for kids AND their parents/teachers.

Color Uncovered   Color Uncovered - Exploratorium          Sound Uncovered   Sound Uncovered - Exploratorium

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Tiny Firefighters

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firefighters

Just named as Apple’s App of the Week and FREE for a limited time – Tiny Firefighters, an interactive seek & find book. Toddlers tap their way through interactive scenes (full of fun sounds) to help firemen and policemen do their work. They can help firefighters to put out a house fire, rescue a cow from a pond, rescue a cat from a tree, and more. In the police scene, kids help policemen direct traffic, catch a wanted burglar, escort a celebrity, etc. Kids will also love the fun “extras” in each scene  – the jewelry-stealing bird, the flying helicopter, the flying superboy, and more. The app has another fun feature – snow can be turned on/off to change the look of the 2 scenes. The app features lots of detail – great for talking with your child about what is going on in each scene and/or storytelling.

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tiny-firefighters/id632012899?mt=8&uo=4

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Dr. Seuss Sale

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cat in the hatMarch 2 is the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel aka Dr. Seuss. Geisel published over 40 children’s books full of rhyme and imaginative characters. 200 million+ copies of his books have been sold. In his honor, March 2 has been named National Read Across America Day, an initiative created by the National Education Association. This year, Read Across America Day will be celebrated in schools on March 3.

Just in time for the celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday/Read Across America Day, his books (apps) are on sale. Most of them are $1.00 off but several of them are $.99. Here are links to 8 titles that are being offered for only $.99 each.

The Cat in the Hat: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-cat-in-the-hat-dr.-seuss/id353473931?mt=8&uo=4

Green Eggs and Ham: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/green-eggs-and-ham-dr.-seuss/id380751745?mt=8&uo=4

Oh, the Places You’ll Go: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/oh-places-youll-go!-dr.-seuss/id371171766?mt=8&uo=4

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McGraw Hill books: Little Red Hen, Jack & the Beanstalk, Why the Sea is Salty, Country Mouse & City Mouse, Little Red Riding Hood

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FREE again – five interactive readers for your iPad from McGraw Hill. All of these titles usually sell for $1.99. These classic children’s tales can be read in two ways: read aloud or read to myself. All five books are nicely illustrated and have animations/interactivity on each page. Sound effects and music are also included – both of  these features can be turned on or off. The stories are all great but I especially enjoyed the Little Red Hen. Download them today  – there is no reason to pass these up.  🙂


Little Red Hen - Interactive Reader - McGraw-Hill School Education Group  Little Red Hen      Jack and the Beanstalk from McGraw-Hill Education - McGraw-Hill School Education Group  Jack and the Beanstalk     Why the Sea Is Salty - McGraw-Hill School Education Group Why the Sea is Salty

Little Red Riding Hood from McGraw-Hill Education - McGraw-Hill School Education GroupLittle Red Riding Hood    Country Mouse and City Mouse - McGraw-Hill School Education Group Country Mouse/City Mouse

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The Three Little Pigs by Nosy Crow

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3 little pigs

FREE for a limited time – The Three Little Pigs from Nosy Crow, a fabulous must-have version of the classic tale. Kids 3+ will be delighted with this animated story that is full of interactivity & fun surprises. The story can be enjoyed in 3 modes: read & play, read to me, and read by myself.  As they read, kids can interact with the story in a variety of ways. They can flick the characters to make them jump, spin and/or speak. They can tap to help the pigs build their houses. They can even help the wolf blow down the pigs’ houses! There are so many fun things to try. The artwork & animations are top-notch. The app even has an original soundtrack which features a musical identity for each character. This educational app is an example of digital storytelling at its best. Don’t miss this one – your little ones will love it!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/three-little-pigs-by-nosy/id418543664?mt=8&uo=4

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Nighty Night

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nighty night

Over 5 million downloads and counting… Nighty Night was recently updated and is FREE again for a limited time. This interactive bedtime app (for kids 1 – 4) has it all – cute animals, sleepy lullaby music, great narration, and fabulous artwork. The artwork is beautifully done by Heidi Wittlinger, an Oscar nominated artist. The story is perfect for your child’s bedtime ritual. Kids help to put 7 sleepy animals to bed by clicking off the lights around the farm thus setting the mood for their own bedtime. 🙂 Six additional animals can be added to the story with in-app purchases. The story can be switched from the winter version to the summer version and it can be changed to 12 different languages – English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. This educational app is really lovely and it has been successful internationally.  It won App of the Year 2011 in the “books category” in Germany & the U.S. It also reached #1 in iPad books in the US, Brazil, Spain, Denmark, Portugal, Germany, Sweden, South Africa, Australia Switzerland and Austria! Love this app!!

Nighty Night! HD – Bedtime stories – Story book for children - Shape Minds and Moving Images GmbH

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DinoBoy Adventures

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dinoboy

FREE for a limited time – DinoBoy Adventures, a unique interactive book. In this first adventure DinoBoy moves from the country to the big city. It’s his first night there and he notices a big yellow slide out his bedroom window. So… he sneaks out to try it. This app really gets kids involved in the story – in 3 unique ways. As the they read the story or have the story read to them, kids must discover the interactive element on each page that moves the story forward. They do things like: switch on a light, unzip a door, change the traffic lights to green, etc. Then they get to choose one of 3 pets (dog, cat or bird) to join DinoBoy on his adventure. Finally, kids get to choose the place for DinoBoy to visit – a museum, a toy store, or a playground. Kids will love choosing a different pet and/or place to change the story each time they read it. The artwork is also unique –  a fun combination of the drawings & photos. Kids will want to read and interact with this story over and over again! Get it today and look for DinoBoy’s next adventure.

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dinoboy-adventures/id455138887?mt=8&uo=4