5 Picture Books I Wish Were Book Apps
Since I started using apps with Mr Tall and Little Miss Chatterbox, I often read a picture book with them and think, “Wouldn’t it be great if this were made into an app!” So, just for fun, here are five picture books I wish someone would develop for the iPad.
The Odd Egg, by Emily Gravett
Because it is a short and perfectly formed story, with plenty of eggs to crack and a big surprise ending. And a soundtrack of bird calls would complement it perfectly.
Meg’s Veg, by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski
Really, any Meg and Mog book would make my list. Because they have such bright colours, text stripped to the bone, and action on every page. Who could resist helping Meg and Mog to stake the peas and thin the carrots?
Penguin, by Polly Dunbar
For the wonderful conversation between Ben and the Penguin, even if the Penguin’s part is rather mute. Children would have lots of fun helping Ben to try to provoke a reaction from the Penguin.
Unfortunately, by Alan Durant and Simon Rickerty
Because it is a rollercoaster of a journey in which the reader would have a real role in moving the action along, as the boy and girl hurtle from one precarious situation to the next.
Don’t Dip your Chips in your Drink, Kate! By Caryl Hart and Leigh Hodgkinson
Although there is a lot more text to this book than my other choices, there are so many elements which would create a richly interactive app. The reader could open the letter from the Queen, explore her overstocked fridge, or help the Queen ping prunes in Kate’s drink.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. What picture books do you think would make a great app? I’d love your comments below.
My knowledge of apps is zilch, but from a very cursory glance at my bookshelf, any of the ‘Maisy’ books, ‘The Cat in the Hat’, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ (of course) and ‘The Baby That Roared’. Not a very original collection (except perhaps the last one), but I think they’d all work really well. Oh, and anything by Viv Schwarz – ‘There Are Cats in this Book’, ‘There are No Cats in this Book’ and ‘A Place to Call Home’. And I can see anything else illustrated by Leigh Hodgkinson working.
Thanks Elli! I would definitely add Maisy to my list too, she’s one of our favourite characters. And the bright colours would be brilliant on screen. There is a Cat in the Hat app which we own and which is very faithful to the original, but not so much interaction. I’ve found a counting game using the Hungry Caterpillar but not the original book. Can I confess I haven’t read the Baby That Roared or the Viv Schwarz books, I will need to seek them out!
I think Herve Tullet’s ‘Press Here’ would make an amazing app. Having said that I think the way it works as a book is genius and maybe actual interactivity would take something away from that. Perhaps part of the wonder is you need to imagine the changes. It would still be a great app though and certainly a lot of fun.
Thanks Vanessa! I’ve just discovered there is Press Here:The App which was released in April. The description says it is a set of games “inspired by” the book. One to add to the expanding review pile I think.
Guess what I’m doing now!
Ooh, do let me know if you like it!
So….we like it. As soon as I showed the home screen to Lady A (she’s 21months) she recognised it as ‘Press’ and straight away started playing with the spots. She even successfully did her first ‘drag’, picking up a spot and moving it across the screen. There are many different activities, each hidden behind a spot which work in different ways. It was good that the book wasn’t one of them and that it still exists in its own right. Thanks for discovering it. We searched at Christmas when we got the book but not since. Hurrah.
Who wants Arthur? – my girls loved this book 20 years ago. So glad to see it’s still in print… http://www.amazon.com/wants-Arthur-Quality-time-book/dp/155532178X
I don’t know that one but it looks lovely.
Vanessa, it sounds great, I’ve definitely added to my want list!
Elli, today we bought There are Cats in This Book and I totally agree it would make a brilliant app! I had ideas fizzing in my brain about what you could do with it as we read it.