Bedtime
stories are a ritual passed down from one generation to another with
only the content varying. Grandparents reminisce about classics like
Hansel and Gretel, Snow White and Sherlock Holmes; parents narrate tales
from PG Wodehouse or Enid Blyton; and our generation grew up with Harry
Potter and Twilight.
But with technology gaining ground so rapidly, mere storybooks can no longer keep the average child entertained. With interactive e-books gaining popularity, some of the most downloaded interactive e-books now come from animated movies. Companies like Dream Works and Paramount Pictures, and app creator Zuuka Group, the makers behind the popular iStoryTime application, have now taken to releasing storybooks based on popular animation films to engage children while acting as an educational tool at the same time. By adding innovative and interactive features like audio voiceovers, games and puzzles within the storyline, e-books designed for the Kindle and the iPad are fast gaining popularity with Indian audiences as well.
“My eight-year-old loves animation films. She fell in love with Alex and Marty from Madagascar. It was only recently that we discovered these books based on the film at the Apple store. Now she is
hooked,” says Vijaya Karnik, 38, a housewife in Mahim. The Madagascar storybook is one of the most downloaded on the Apple store. It features the film’s popular characters including Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Gloria the hippo and Melman the giraffe, along with everyone’s favourites, King Julien and the penguins. Following the film’s premise, the book too follows the characters to Madagascar as part of a journey that changes their lives. As an in-app purchase, the sequels — Madagascar 2 – Escape 2 Africa and Madagascar 3 – Europe’s Most Wanted — also find a mention.
That’s not all. There is a spin-off offered as well. The book Penguins of Madagascar follows
Skipper, Rico, Kowalski and Private as well, as King Julien, Maurice and Mort as they unearth a 100year-old time capsule.
But with technology gaining ground so rapidly, mere storybooks can no longer keep the average child entertained. With interactive e-books gaining popularity, some of the most downloaded interactive e-books now come from animated movies. Companies like Dream Works and Paramount Pictures, and app creator Zuuka Group, the makers behind the popular iStoryTime application, have now taken to releasing storybooks based on popular animation films to engage children while acting as an educational tool at the same time. By adding innovative and interactive features like audio voiceovers, games and puzzles within the storyline, e-books designed for the Kindle and the iPad are fast gaining popularity with Indian audiences as well.
“My eight-year-old loves animation films. She fell in love with Alex and Marty from Madagascar. It was only recently that we discovered these books based on the film at the Apple store. Now she is
hooked,” says Vijaya Karnik, 38, a housewife in Mahim. The Madagascar storybook is one of the most downloaded on the Apple store. It features the film’s popular characters including Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Gloria the hippo and Melman the giraffe, along with everyone’s favourites, King Julien and the penguins. Following the film’s premise, the book too follows the characters to Madagascar as part of a journey that changes their lives. As an in-app purchase, the sequels — Madagascar 2 – Escape 2 Africa and Madagascar 3 – Europe’s Most Wanted — also find a mention.
That’s not all. There is a spin-off offered as well. The book Penguins of Madagascar follows
Skipper, Rico, Kowalski and Private as well, as King Julien, Maurice and Mort as they unearth a 100year-old time capsule.
The greatest advantage of these e-books is that they offer
features likes audio, automatic navigation and narration options and
have highlighted text to help early readers make associations between
the words they hear and see.
Several iconic characters like the Smurfs, Po from Kung Fu Panda, Puss in Boots, Shrek and Donkey, Transformers, TV sensation Dora and even The Beatles find themselves in children’s stories.
For example, Yellow Submarine, a 1968 animated musical fantasy film based on the music of The Beatles, is available for download on the Apple store and is filled with wit, humour and clever references to their music and lyrics.
“It is a great way to get your child involved in musicals and helps develop an ear for melody,” says Tanvi Singh, 42, a housewife whose 10-year-old daughter is hooked on to these books on the iPad.
The books also work as a great marketing tool for the movies. So not surprisingly, for almost every animation film released in the recent past, a book based on the same film has also been released to hit the virtual shelves.
And this doesn’t look like a passing fad. The book based on The Pirates: Band of Misfits, a film that is yet to hit theatres in India, is already quite a rage online.
So go ahead. Get booked.
Several iconic characters like the Smurfs, Po from Kung Fu Panda, Puss in Boots, Shrek and Donkey, Transformers, TV sensation Dora and even The Beatles find themselves in children’s stories.
For example, Yellow Submarine, a 1968 animated musical fantasy film based on the music of The Beatles, is available for download on the Apple store and is filled with wit, humour and clever references to their music and lyrics.
“It is a great way to get your child involved in musicals and helps develop an ear for melody,” says Tanvi Singh, 42, a housewife whose 10-year-old daughter is hooked on to these books on the iPad.
The books also work as a great marketing tool for the movies. So not surprisingly, for almost every animation film released in the recent past, a book based on the same film has also been released to hit the virtual shelves.
And this doesn’t look like a passing fad. The book based on The Pirates: Band of Misfits, a film that is yet to hit theatres in India, is already quite a rage online.
So go ahead. Get booked.
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