KidScreen: Digital books speak to real-world readers

by: Emily Claire Afan

Interactive applications can’t be too immersive these days. And in an effort to bring kids further into the worlds depicted in their favorite books, New York-based digital firm [212]media created a beta version of digital edu-tainment product Speakaboos that it’s prepping for a full launch later this year.

Principal Neal Shenoy describes Speakaboos as an immersive reading experience targeting kids up to age eight. Companion website Speakaboos.com houses a selection of downloadable packages (US$8.99 apiece) themed around individual titles that include a digital book - complete with animation, music and sound effects, where pages get flipped as a narrator reads the story aloud - games that might test memory, reading comprehension and vocabulary, themed e-cards to send to family and friends, print-outs and arts & crafts.

More than 90% of Speakaboos narrators are celebrities (yes, even Kevin Bacon has taken a turn), which is proving a popular

feature with parents. The site also includes free streaming songs and nursery rhymes performed by pop artists (US$0.99 to download). At press time, Nick Cannon’s hip-hop version of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” was the site’s most-streamed file. The plan is to continue to recruit more celebs as the library grows.

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