Children's books embrace digital technology

October 22, 9:30 AMChildren's Books ExaminerLori Calabrese

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Lula's Brew by Elizabeth Dulemba

Okay...here's the scenario. You decided to brave it for once and go out for a nice dinner with your spouse and toddlers. As soon as you sit, they're fascinated by the table or booth you're sitting in, exploring everything around them, and perhaps, taking part in some people watching. You give your order to the waitress (specifying to please bring the todders' food first) and then you wait. Your toddlers are starting to get anxious. They want to jump on the seat, bang on the table, or the worst case scenario, throw a temper tantrum. What's a parent to do?

Thankfully, there's a variety of options today in digital learning and parents can simply pull out their iPod or iPhone and entertain their children with apps that read children's books. There's a whole bunch of applications that are focused towards kids and even focus on education. Most books are $1.99/ea from iTunes and can also be purchased on your phone from anywhere.

Some parents worry that eBooks and iPhone apps will replace the traditional books that they can hold in their hands, but this new technology can be great for times when you don't have a traditional book handy. They can be great for driving in the car, on an airplane, or our dreaded restaurant scenario. The next generation has many options to engage in stories and art, so why not take advantage? Mobile picture books allow kids to look at the same pictures featured in a traditional book, they can listen to the story read by a narrator (or even their own family), and kids have the option of having the pages turn automatically or they can touch the screen to turn the page. But most important, it's an opportunity for children to learn to read integrated with the wonders of art and technology.

There are many apps out there to download digital books. Here are a few...
-iStoryTime
-picpocketbooks
-International Children's Digital Library (ICDL)
-MobiStories
-Winged Chariot Press
-Scrollmotion

Many authors are embracing this new technology, including author/ illustrator Elizabeth Dulemba, who recently announced the debut of her iPhone app for Lula's Brew. Watch it in action...